


An Erstwhile Encounter

by swindalynn



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: And a little bit of angst, F/F, a little bit of action, a little bit of fluff and feelings, a little bit of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-04-07 06:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14074611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swindalynn/pseuds/swindalynn
Summary: The first time Nadine met Chloe was actually in Sri Lanka, years before Sam, Asav, and the tusk of Ganesh. Nadine had just turned twenty and was acting Security Chief for a client's black market event, but a treasure hunter had been exploring the same hotel for her own reasons.





	1. "You All Right There, Soldier?"

The first time Nadine met Chloe was in Sri Lanka. She and her father were meeting with a client in the lavishly decorated bar of the Royale Inn, one of the most expensive five star hotels in the country. She had just turned twenty and it was the first time her father required her presence at one of these meetings. Today's client was a man named Godsafe, a British national who hired Shoreline as a private security detail for this annual arms dealing event. It was always one of their biggest jobs because it doubled as an acquisitions venture. Shoreline was allowed a percentage off all vendor prices on weapons, ammunition, and gear as well as acquiring a decent amount of funding to cover operations. 

Aromatic tea steeped a little too strong perfumed the room decorated with rich earth tones and the smoke of cigar and hookah wafted in the air. Nadine had sat through the entire conversation with Godsafe with her arms cross. She didn't like this Godsafe, never had, but she knew better than to voice that, especially in front of her father. He was a professional who believed that it was none of his business why the clients hired them. 

“Excellent,” Godsafe said, lifting his cup and sitting back in his chair. “Then its all settled. I look forward to another successful event, Mr. Ross.” He nodded toward Nadine with a smirk she didn't like. “Ms. Ross.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him. Her father knew her thoughts before she even had them and he considered the tea in his cup with disapproval. She'd been increasingly short with clients like Godsafe and he needed her loosened and relaxed to make this weekend a success. 

“Nadine, I think we need something stronger in this tea, don't you think?” he asked, setting the cup back down. 

She eyed Godsafe and said, “Yeah, I'll get it.” 

Her father liked Kentucky bourbon in his tea with a touch of honey because it was the only thing that soothed the tightness he'd been complaining about growing in his chest. She stood from the table and exited the room, headed toward the east wing where his room was. As she was ascending the stairs, she heard a loud crash from somewhere upstairs followed by shouting and pounding feet. When the unmistakable sound of gunfire echoed, Nadine pulled her firearm, released the safety, and ascended the rest of the steps quickly.

When she rounded a corner, a body nearly ran into her. Nadine wrapped her arm around the elbow and flipped the assailant over her shoulder and onto the flooring, lifting her gun and pulling the hammer back. That's how she came to stand over Chloe Frazer for the first time with the barrel of a Sig Sauer pointed straight at her. Chloe froze for a moment, still winded from the flip, and taking the time to catch her breath on her hands and knees. Nadine's first thought was of how unusual the color of her gray eyes were. She voiced her second thought instead.

“Who are you?”

Chloe sat back on her heels and lifted her hands, a small unreadable smile becoming her lips. Black strands of hair came loose from the ponytail at the base of her neck. 

“Woah there,” Chloe said, gazing up at her from her knees. “I'm just passing through. I swear.” 

Nadine remained unfazed. “Why are you running and what are you running from?”

“I'm just here on vacation,” Chloe said with a smile, giving Nadine a once over with her eyes. “I may have wandered into the wrong room a minute ago where a bunch of men with your accent and a whole lot of guns were hanging out. Friends of yours?” 

“My men are better trained than to chase a tourist mistakenly.” 

Chloe almost winced as if the next words that were going to come out of her mouth would hurt Nadine more than herself. “How sure of that are you, lovely?”

The question made Nadine's eye narrow slightly and the two came to a stand still as they were, one kneed but defiant, the other imposing with a weapon drawn, eyes locked in a silent game of guess. Then Chloe slowly lowered her hands and let them rest on her knees. She chuckled and downcast her eyes, giving a small shake of her head. 

“All right, all right. You got me. I'm not a tourist,” she said. “I'm studying Pre-Anuradhapuran architecture.” 

With an eyebrow arched, Nadine said, “You're awfully calm around gunfire for a scholar.”

“In my line of work, ruins and guns seem to go hand in hand for some reason.” Chloe shrugged and the sight of it was equally enticing and irritating at the same time. 

Finally, Nadine's men came thundering up, immediately surrounding them and each pulling his own weapon on the unarmed woman their boss had captured. Nadine watched as Chloe glanced around her and was impressed that there was only a hint of nervousness instead of the panic she would have expected. 

“Ma'am, we caught this woman sneaking about in the caches. You want us to dispatch her?”

“No, I'll see to it this little mouse won't go near our stores again,” Nadine said. She released the hammer on her Sig Sauer and set the safety in place before holstering it. She took a step toward Chloe and extended her hand toward her. “Will she?” 

“No...” Chloe blinked at her, struck by some thought or realization that was lost on Nadine, and then took her hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. “...she won't.” 

Nadine shooed the soldiers back to their assigned posts until it was just the two of them on the top of the steps. Chloe kept hold of her hand and considered her genuinely for the first time.

“I'm Chloe and to whom do I owe the pleasure of my life?” 

Nadine attempted to retrieve her hand and noted that Chloe refused to oblige before she answered. 

“Nadine Ross,” she said. “Next time, try not to walk in on rooms booked by Shoreline.”

“I'll keep that in mind. So. Nadine Ross.” Chloe repeated her name, more for herself Nadine had assumed. “Any relation to Jeremiah Ross?” 

“My father.” 

Then Chloe must have put two and two together and she gave her a thoughtful handshake before withdrawing her hand and recovering from whatever thought she had. 

“Well, then,” Chloe said. “I'll let you get on with your important business, Ms. Ross.” 

She patted Nadine's shoulder and flashed her a mysterious smile as she walked passed. Nadine watched her disappear down the hallway and then turned back toward the east wing to retrieve her father's bourbon. She didn't think much of the touch or the smile. She would never see that woman again, she knew, and there was much more pressing business to attend to. 

-

Godsafe liked to began his events with other services first. These were powerful men in one location at his invitation and Godsafe offered nothing but the best to his guests. At the beginning of every event, beautiful women were lined up before the men, one woman for every leader in the room. This was her fourth time accompanying her father to a Godsafe event and she never paid much attention to the this part. She was Security Chief, responsible for the smooth execution of the events, the safety of the men gathered while they were inside the hotel, and to squash any trouble the men may get in with each other before it escalated out of control. Too many powerful men with little egos and illegal arms in one place could blow up very quickly. If paying women to keep them entertained in their rooms and away from each other helped make her job easier, then so be it. 

From the back of the ballroom. Nadine scanned the crowd. She had her men stationed at strategic points around the room and so far everyone seemed to be behaving themselves. The men catcalled while a line of women were lead into the room. There was a small diversity in them. Most of them were dressed in osaria, a Kandyan style sari, draped much like East Indians wore. There was one woman whose sari was missing the frills around the waist. The sari she worse was a crimson with gold embellishments painstakingly stitched and dyed on the length of the silk. 

It was the smile Nadine recognized as the women filed by. The woman in red was the same woman she'd saved from her men on the stairs, the woman who had called herself Chloe. A man in the crowd in front of her whistled and Chloe blew him a kiss. Nadine's eyebrows furrowed at that. 

Here to study ancient architecture, my ass, she thought. 

The first girl went for an impressive sum, but Nadine couldn't imagine paying that much money for sex. If she felt so inclined, it was easy to find a willing partner, or someone easy on the eyes for much cheaper. The girl was led off stage and handed to her buyer and Chloe walked up front and center. She had a few strong bids from the start and some cat calls, which made Nadine frown even more.

Nadine felt her father come to stand beside her and looked at him. He was craning his neck, considering her with an amused smile on his face. A open palm toward the stage. 

“Something you like?” he asked.

She scowled. “Of course not. I've work to do, sir.”

Jeremiah Ross stroked the fine hair on his chin and he looked from his daughter to the women on stage and back, letting out an exaggerated “hmm” that he could see irritated her further. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood at ease beside her. 

“Do you want my bid?” 

“What would I do with an escort?” Nadine said trying to hide her scorn at the use of the word “escort” in this situation. 

“I imagine the same thing any man would do,” her father answered, nonchalantly, which made Nadine break out of her role as Security Chief to look at him. 

“It's not-. I'm not-.” She hated how her voice faltered when she tried to find words that weren't lies, because it really wasn't what he was thinking, but she did find this Chloe very attractive. She had just decided that it was a topic she and her father never really needed to discuss. Her private life was just that: private.

Jeremiah shook her head impatiently. He was never one to suffer excuses. 

“I don't care what it's like or what you're not, Nadine,” he said. “All I know is that woman in red blew you a kiss. I imagine that's a good sign of something. You will take my bid and whatever you do or don't do with her is your own business as long as you get this out of your system, Chief.” 

She looked at him for another minute. If they were not on the job, she may have dared to hug him, but she was, and they were both fans of keeping their softer sides out of view of the public, and especially their clients. She nodded and brought the brim of her cap lower on her forehead. 

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now go,” her father said, handing her his white paddle. “The men don't need you for the next hour.”

Nadine sighed, but this would give her the opportunity to find out why this Chloe was here at all. Somehow she didn't think it was because she owed Godsafe pimp money. The announcer was calling out the last bid, something ridiculously high. She still felt resistant until she saw the man who held the highest bid, a man quickly rising up the ranks and making a name for himself, Hector Alcazar. Last year, he'd gotten into a scuffle with her men and refused to acknowledge her position in Shoreline. 

Calmly, with just a few seconds left to spare, Nadine rose the white paddle in the air. She was not concerned with the pairs of eyes that looked her way, but still noticed the one pair that mattered. Chloe spied her in the crowd and Nadine could have sworn she chuckled to herself and shook her head as if she was just as surprised their paths had crossed again. 

Alcazar glanced toward her and glowered. It seemed he remembered how she'd handled him the previous year and then quietly bowed out. Nadine was announced the winner five seconds later. She made her way calmly through the crowd, keen on how Chloe smiled down at her as she was escorted off the stage. The red silk of the sari floated behind her as she descended the steps and swayed in ways that made all the men pay attention to the curve of her waist. 

The gentleman offered up Chloe like some kind of commodity and stepped aside. When Nadine did not offer her elbow, Chloe took it instead. 

“Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Ross,” she said, making a show of noticing the same khaki shirt emblazoned with the Shoreline logo on its front pocket, sleeves rolled up to her elbow. “And so dressed up.” 

Nadine steered her toward the exit and said, flatly, “This was my father's idea.”

“It was your father's idea for you to pick up an escort?” Chloe asked her as they walked through the double doors at one end of the ballroom. 

“Yes. Problem with that?” 

Chloe had shaken her head. “Not at all. Just noting who I should thank, is all.” 

With one arm firm around Chloe's waist and her other hand on her elbow, Nadine walked her up the staircase they'd met earlier, choosing to ignore the comment. Any woman would be grateful to be saved from a strange man, she supposed. The scent of floral spice wafted around Chloe, subtly sweet with a flair of a promise of something else, something exciting, or dangerous – maybe even passionate. Nadine hadn't known that a perfume could fit a person so well until then. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “This isn't exactly Pre-Anuradhapuran architecture.” 

Chloe chuckled. “I can't believe you remembered 'Pre-Anuradhapuran', to be honest. I'm quite flattered.” 

“Still doesn't answer my question.” 

“Relax,” Chloe said, lowering her voice as they passed by a few hotel guests. “I'm not here for you, your men, or any of this. There is supposed to be a tapestry somewhere in this hotel of Prince Vijaya, which would help in my studies. Do you know how much a room in this place cost?”

Nadine stopped in the middle of the hallway to look at her. “You mean to tell me you most likely took some poor girl's place in that auction, which could be her only real chance of buying her way out of slavery, to use a man for his room? And you're okay with everything that comes with that?” 

“Well, maybe it's been a bit of a dry spell for me,” Chloe said with a smirk. 

“Eish, you're an impossible woman.” 

Nadine unlocked the door to her room and yanked Chloe inside after her. When the door softly closed behind them, she found herself watching Chloe admire the furnishing, the silk of the sari flowing like liquid red and gold around her. She was beautiful, around Nadine's age, perhaps a few years older. She moved with a confidence Nadine rarely saw in women their age. 

Nadine crossed her arms now and said, “What exactly did I just buy here?” 

Chloe looked at her from over her shoulder. “Do you need me to spell it out for you, love?”

“How long are you supposed to escort me?” Nadine rephrased with a stern look. That mouth of hers was going to get her in trouble one day, she thought. “I have things to do.”

“My guess is as long as you want me. One hour, one night, the whole weekend…?” 

“You were going to spend an entire weekend with a strange man with a questionable background?” 

Chloe laughed to herself again and leaned back against a table, palms coming to either side to grip the edge of it. Her hair spilled onto one shoulder, but the jewelry kept it out of her eyes. Her red lips curved into a smile when she finally looked back up at her. 

“As opposed to a strange woman with a questionable background?” she asked her. “I happen to be equal opportunity in that department. You?” 

Nadine's chest huffed with offense. She shook her head, giving up. She turned back to the door and opened it. 

“Stay here. It's not safe to be about right now. Better wait until later.” 

“Wait!” 

Nadine stopped, forced an even breath, and looked at her. “What?”

“You can't go back stiff and rigid like that. You'll blow my cover,” Chloe said, still leaning on the table. “You purchased me from an auction and whisked me away to your room. What do you think that says to everyone?”

Nadine considered her as she stood in the doorway, gazing across the room at the woman who nonchalantly sat against the table, but who looked just as anticipatory as Nadine felt. It'd been a while since Nadine had taken someone to bed, and her father did make it clear that she wasn't to come back unless loosened up. With a quiet step back, Nadine closed the door, and then turned around.

She crossed the room calmly, approached with a confidence that matched the one she'd noticed of Chloe earlier, her hands undoing the buckle of the black belt at her waist. She let it stay loose as she stepped so close Chloe had to lean back to accommodate her presence. Nadine placed her palms flat on the table surface on either side of Chloe. She felt the heat of Chloe's body and saw goosebumps rise on her shapely arms. She leaned forward and their cheeks brushed as she whispered in Chloe's ear.

“Make it quick.” 

Chloe breathed. “Yes, ma'am.” 

Chloe reached up and removed her cap, setting it on the table beside her. Their gazes locked as Nadine felt the hands around her waist, fingers sliding along the band to the button and zipper below it. The bracelets around her wrist jingled against each other. The button gave way too easily in the deft fingers. The corners of Chloe's lips lifted when she slowly drew up the tucked khaki shirt and Nadine had to take in a breath at the touch of finger tips against her bare skin. 

Chloe's fingers dipped down, a palm flat and searing against her belly as an exploratory finger first sought heat and slick. Nadine closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly, enjoying the touch. Clearly, Chloe knew what she was doing. 

She fought the groan when Chloe gripped her completely, the underside of her knuckles sliding maddeningly against her clit while her fingers slip along the sensitive skin on either side of her opening. She felt Chloe place her face between her collar and her jawline to nip at the skin of her neck. Just to tease, Chloe sandwiched Nadine between two knuckles and moved excruciatingly slow. Nadine grit her teeth, especially at the breathy laugh she felt at her throat. 

“This is not quick,” she said, but her labored breathing betrayed her.

“Maybe I'm savoring the time I have with you.” 

“We don't have time.” 

Nadine felt her breath hitch when Chloe quickened her pace without warning. It was growing harder to keep her palms flat against the table. Suddenly, she didn't remember what point she had been trying to make with that gesture, but stubbornly she kept her hands there. Her head lowered even more until it rested against Chloe's shoulder for support. There was something both talented and cruel in how Chloe's fingers played her, stroking along smooth muscle before stopping pace to leave her unfinished. Her free hand slid up beneath her shirt along her bare back and felt the constricting cloth of a sports bra. 

“Well, that's cheating,” Chloe said, but Nadine couldn't answer. 

Chloe had quickened her pace to the point of unbearable. She felt her knees shake and she drew her hands below her shoulders for support. It can take Nadine a while to tip over when she got to this point. Sometimes, so long her partner gives out before she can get herself to let go. 

“I'd hoped you would bet,” Chloe said into her ear, showing no sign of slowing down. “I wanted you since that moment on the stairs.”

Nadine felt her thighs tremble. So close, she was so close, but she just couldn't quite get there. She felt the beginnings of frustration in her gut, knowing all two well how a good build up can lead to a brick wall. Then Chloe stopped her hand and withdrew it just enough for her fingers tips to still hold Nadine's clit still cradled by slick flesh. She straightened just enough to wrap her arm around Nadine and pull her flush against her. Then she flicked her fingertips back and forth quickly with the clit still in between them. The moan escaped Nadine before she knew it. Her hips bucked and her knees gave way. Chloe gripped her tight, keeping them both up against the table as she continued until Nadine lost all awareness around her and stumbled into the orgasm. 

Chloe let her lean against her as she slowly came down off the high, stroking her back almost affectionately. It was all Nadine could manage for a few long minutes filled with nothing but their breathing. Finally, Nadine was able to steady herself against the table with her hands once more, testing the feet beneath her.

“You all right there, soldier?” Chloe asked. 

“Ja,” Nadine said, nodding. She pushed herself up right on shaky knees. “Fine.” 

“You were brilliant.” 

Nadine felt the heat creep across her cheeks and stepped back. She knew Chloe watched her as she made her way to a suitcase and retrieved an clean pair of underwear, trying to not let it show how wobbly her knees were. She could feel her own wetness and there was no way she was returning to duty with that between her legs. In the bathroom, she pulled her pants off, dried off with a towel, and redressed hastily, tucking her shirt back in as she exited. 

“Order room service if you're hungry,” Nadine said, making her way back to the door. “And it's best you don't wander until after midnight. Better stay here until then.” 

“Will you be returning before then?” Chloe called after her with a smile. 

“Most likely not.” 

“Then, see you around, Nadine Ross,” Chloe said. “The pleasure was all mine.” 

Nadine looked at her, unsure what to make of this Chloe and her mysterious smile. She nodded and said, “Good luck with your studies.” 

Then she was out of the door and this time, for sure, she was certain she wouldn't see her again. There was a tinge of sadness for her clitoris at that. She made her way through the hallways and down the stairs before walking back through the double doors. Her father spied her from across the room. He stood as firm as ever, but lifted a hand pointed to his head. Nadine cursed. Her cap was still on the table in that room. 

Part of her was angered at how flustered she was at the prospect of returning to the privacy of the room with a woman who read her almost too well, so well she knew how to push her over the edge. Not many people knew how to do that and most took a few tries to learn. But it was silly that she felt apprehensive. 

She took the stairs two at a time, double timing down the hallways back to her door. She unlocked it and pocketed the card key, swinging the door open loudly to announce her presence. She opened it to an empty room and all the apprehension in her died flat. Well, this was to be expected, really. That woman was going to get herself killed like that. After a quick check to verify an empty bathroom, she grabbed her cap off the table and headed out once more. 

She didn't have time to worry about a stranger. She had duties to do and her father's reputation to uphold.

Continued...


	2. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Chloe immediately after the events of the first chapter. After Nadine anticipates her next move, the two of them come to something of an agreement.

Chloe had watched Nadine leave the room, waited until the door softly clicked shut and for the sounds of heavy boots dulled by thick soles and lush carpet had disappeared down the hall. She smiled to herself and looked at her hand, the fingers beginning to dry. Nadine had never shown it on the outside, but Chloe had been surprised by how wet she'd found her. When she first booked the flight to Sri Lanka, she hadn't expected to meet a conquest, let alone a conquest who happened to be the daughter of one of the world's more infamous para-militaries in the world. Well, what kind of treasure hunter would she be if she didn't go whole heartedly after what she wanted, Chloe wondered.

A poor one with a boring sex life is what, she thought.

She pushed herself up from the table, washed her hands, and then made her way to the door. Chloe slipped out the door unnoticed. She rode the elevator a few floors up and made her way to another room. The best thing about card keys was that the card was so easy to strap to a thigh where even a material as unforgiving as silk had a difficult time exposing it.

As soon as the door shut behind her, she immediately changed into a pair of tan khaki's and pulled a thin shirt over her head. A cellphone on a bedside table chimed, the screen glowing the darkened corner. Chloe sat on the bed where her boots were and put the phone on speaker.

“I'm on my way,” she said, pulling on one boot and bending to lace it up. 

“What do you think you were doing, pulling a stunt like that?” the voice on the other side asked. “You're going to get us both killed.”

“As I recall, you were supposed to make sure I had access to that room so I didn't have half of shoreline chasing me through four floors,” she said as she laced the second boot. “So, maybe you should reconsider this tone of voice.”

“I don't have control on whether or not armed militia want cleaning services. At least I got you that key card. And none of these men trust you as far as they can throw you, especially since the chief won your bid. There's no way you're going to be able to get anywhere near that floor again.”

“Her winning my bid is the only reason this operation is still a go, so you'd better be damned glad we were lucky I even got myself in that auction,” Chloe said and stood. She opened the table drawer where she kept her sidearm, a Ruger P90, older but reliable, and hopefully not necessary. 

“No, we're lucky she bid at all.” 

“You are constantly underestimating me, mate.” She slid the Ruger in her shoulder holster and slung it on. “Just make sure the room is clear this time and we're gone as soon as tonight. I gotta go.” 

“Wait, Frazer. What exactly are you going to do about Ross?” 

“What about her?” 

“You're so worried about the room being clear, but you've got the chief of security chasing up your skirt. It don't matter if the room is clear if she wants delivery on what she purchased.” 

“I doubt she'll be able to handle another so soon.” At the first sound of surprised, she pulled the phone from her ear and feigned haste. “Oh, so sorry. Gotta go now. Bye.” 

With a smirk, she ended the call and then was out the door. 

-

Chloe made her way through the empty hallway and disappeared into the stairwell. The portrait she was seeking was hanging in one of the locked conference rooms and banquet halls that were packed with crates bearing Shoreline's insignia. Her keycard was one of the masters used by maids and maintenance and should allow her to slip in unnoticed. The first time she tried, there were five men below the portrait sitting around a crate playing gin rummy with half burned cigarettes dangling from their lips. Chloe listened through the door for voices before she pulled her card and unlocked it. 

When she opened the door, she hadn't expected to see Nadine Ross standing in front of the portrait of the first Sihnalese monarch with her arms folded loosely over her chest. She turned to look at her, gave a nod of acknowledgement, and turned back to the portrait. If she was surprised to see her, she didn't show it.

“I figured you'd come looking for this.” 

Chloe approached with slow steps, but pocketed her card key, with an impressed smile. This Nadine Ross was a lot more than originally anticipated. How exciting. 

“You were waiting for me. I'm flattered.”

“It's not exactly a portrait,” Nadine said, looking back up at the tapestry depicting a man tying a thread around his wrist. In the background, a woman could be seen spinning more thread with a dog lying by her feet.

“Well, it's not exactly a tapestry either,” Chloe replied with a shrug, “but you know how semantics are.” 

She came to stand beside Nadine, watching her strong profile for any signs of embarrassment or discomfort over what had transpired between them perhaps forty minutes ago and saw none. The fact made Chloe wonder devilishly what would elicit a reaction from this stoic beauty. The only thing she saw in her at all was a perplexed expression as she gazed into the lifeless eyes of a man who had lived and died centuries ago.

“There's the portrait.” Nadine stepped back, pulling up one of the empty chairs still scattered around the crate where the game of rummy lay abandoned. “Take your time.”

She took a seat in the folding chair and then extended an open palm to Chloe with a expectant look on her face. Chloe sighed but tried to contain the small curse as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her card key. 

“Well, that was my ticket back into your room,” Chloe said, also thinking of her own room several floors up. She reluctantly placed the card key in Nadine's waiting palm, allowing her fingers to gently run the length of Nadine's as she pulled them back. 

“So, what's your interest in Sri Lanka's first king?” Nadine asked as she put the card away, ignoring both the comment and the touch. 

“It's not him I'm interested in,” Chloe said, turning back to the hanging tapestry and stepping closer to the portrait of woven fibers. “Ever hear of the curse of Kuveni?” 

“Should I have?” 

Chloe chuckled to herself as she lifted the bottom of the tapestry, once-gold tassels swaying in her hand and accenting the spaces where age had caused some silken strands to unravel and fall away. To be fair, Sri Lanka was not a heavily studied country. General knowledge of it outside of its borders was rare. 

“The Greeks and Romans believed this little island country to be a land of mystery and mysticism,” Chloe started, as she ran her fingers along the fibers, trying to feel anything different or out of place. “Legend says that Prince Vijaya sailed here after his expulsion from Vanga with seven hundred of his followers and landed in what was the kingdom of the Yakkhini, supernatural beings often mistaken as seductresses. Kuveni was their queen. Well, some say anyway.” 

Nadine let out a quiet laugh at this and said, “Let me guess. He somehow gets this queen to fall in love with him, she sets him up with everything he needs, and then he throws her away, so she curses the land.” 

From behind the tapestry, Chloe peeked out at her, impressed. “Yeah, pretty much. He told her to disappear one day so he could marry a princess.” 

“That's how those stories always go.” 

“And men never seem to learn, hm?” Chloe said with a smile. “Anyway, to this day, the people believe Kuveni's curse prevails and why Sri Lanka experiences so much political turmoil.”

“I can tell you why countries like Sri Lanka experience so much political turmoil and it has nothing to do with the myth of a scorned woman,” Nadine said, sitting back in the chair. “So, what's this tapestry have to do with any of this?” 

“I'm not sure yet.” 

Chloe stepped back from behind the tapestry to take look at it once more as a whole. She wasn't sure what she was looking for honestly. She only knew there was supposed to be a clue or key or something in it that was supposed to give another clue to the real location of Thambapanni, but that wasn't something she wanted to let anyone else know, especially someone with command over Shoreline.

Then she saw it in the window above Kuveni's head as she was bent over spinning her thread. What looked like mountains weren't mountains at all. Kuveni had thrown all seven hundred followers into a ravine and only if Vijaya bested her would he get his men back. What if that sneaky woman brought him to them instead? 

“Huh,” Nadine let out as she stood from the chair. “Look at that.”

“What?” Chloe asked. “What do you see?” 

Nadine turned to a crate behind her and opened it. She withdrew a flashlight and pointed toward the light switch on the wall.

“Get the light.”

Chloe flicked the switch that set them in darkness save for the lone beam of light from the Nadine's flashlight. She waved Chloe over and then took hold of her elbow and pulled her down to the floor with her. 

“If you wanted me on the floor in the dark, love, you could have just said so,” Chloe said, noting how Nadine ignored the tease, which made her like her more. After all, Nadine was one of those women, the ones who knew that there was a private face and a public face and didn't confuse the two.

“Look,” Nadine said, shining the flashlight up at the tapestry. 

It was easier to see in the dark. The thread Vijaya tied around his wrist and those Kuveni spun glowed faintly. Chloe stood now and dragged a chair to the tapestry, standing on it to inspect the particular threads closer.

“I'll be damned,” she said as she unbuttoned a small pouch on her leather shoulder holster strap and removed a small pocket knife. She flicked open the blade and began separating one of the glowing threads. “Bring that flashlight over.” 

“What is it?” Nadine asked as she stepped closed, angling the light slightly away so Chloe could see what she was doing without losing the glow of the thread.

“Vijaya was supposed to have a magic thread that kept him safe,” Chloe said, pulling on the thread until it began to give way. It was longer than expected and most of it was woven out of sight within the tapestry. One end made the thread around Vijaya's wrist and the other the wound thread Kuveni had spun.

“You're not saying this is the actual thread,” Nadine said. “It would have rotted eons ago.” 

Chloe laughed. “One, it's magic. Who says it's prone to rotting? Two, I'm not saying that at all, but how much do you wanna bet someone's looking for it and might be willing to part with a bit of cash?” 

“Jesus, you sound like a treasure hunter.” 

Over her shoulder, Chloe grinned at her. If Nadine wasn't going to put it together herself, she wasn't going to either. Finally, Chloe lifted the last of the thread from the tapestry and held it so they could see its faint glow in the pale flashlight beam. Then she wound it around her fingers and pocketed it.

“Well, my work here is done,” she said, hopping off the chair. She patted Nadine's cheek as she walked by. “Thanks, love.” 

Nadine caught her wrist and then took a step back to reach the light switch. The lights cut on, making Chloe blink. She tested the hold Nadine had on her, which only made the grip stronger. She watched as Nadine removed the Ruger from its holster dangling beside her breast, considering it from different angles.

“You're not an escort and you're certainly not an academic,” Nadine mused aloud. She looked at Chloe as she set the Ruger on top of a crate beside them. “Just who are you working for?” 

“Myself,” Chloe said, stepping into the space between them with a smile. “Looking for a job? I'd hire you in an instant.” 

She was surprised when Nadine replied humorously. “As what? Your own personal flirt toy?”

“A toy, sure, and definitely my personal one, but for something far worse than flirting.” 

Chloe angled the arm of the wrist Nadine held so she could step closer, placing her fingertips on her Nadine's chest and then dared to let them spread out for her palm to come flat against muscle. She let her hand trail downwards over Nadine's abdomen and to the top of the belt.

“I think you've forgotten who purchased whom this weekend.” Nadine stared at her, giving no indication that Chloe's actions were affecting her at all. “I can't have you traipsing about unsupervised lest a man end up dead on my watch.”

“Hmm. True. But you won't. It's not how I operate.” Chloe grazed her lips with Nadine's just as her fingers were able to drag the corner of her card key from Nadine's pocket. She drew the card out, holding it between her knuckles while the same hand slid to cup the toned ass, just because she could, and reveled in the way Nadine's breath hitched. Nadine's grip loosened. Finally, a small reaction, and one that earned Chloe a delicious silent scolding. 

“You know what they say about touching the merchandise, love,” Chloe gave a guilty grin and stepped back when her card key was safely back in her pocket unseen. She lifted her now empty hands, feigning innocence. “It's been fun, but it's really time I made my exit.” 

“And you will.” Nadine nodded. “In two days time after every man under my watch has checked out and is no longer my problem.”

Chloe crossed her arms and said, “Doesn't seem to be much in this for me, love.”

Nadine looked at her almost incredulously. She opened her mouth to speak, but then thought against the first words. Her eyebrows furrowed now as if studying Chloe which made the smile tugging at the corners of Chloe's mouth widen into a grin. She wasn't worried about escaping. Stay cooperative long enough with someone who wanted in your pants and there were always plenty opportunities to leave. 

“This isn't a negotiation,” Nadine finally said. “I'm trying to save your ass.”

“And I appreciate it. Profoundly. But this ass likes a reward. Especially if it's expected to behave.”

That was when Nadine considered her, really, for the first time since their initial meeting. The wariness Chloe could see in her eye was only rivaled by the telltale weariness. When was the last time this woman had slept? She wondered. Eaten a meal at her leisure? The muscles of Nadine's jaw flexed as she thought it over. 

“Incredible. You've got more stones than half my men combined,” she said under her breath. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and placed her hands on her hips. She bent over for a minute, loosening up as if to buy time. Then she crossed her arms and said, “Two days, best behavior. I know where you are at all times. You leave when everyone's checked out. In exchange, you get me.” 

“You?” Chloe arched an eyebrow.

“Me.” 

Chloe leaned against a crate and folded her arms, trying to maintain the upper hand she once had in this conversation. She cleared her throat. “In what way?” 

Nadine did not avert her eyes when she said, “As many as it takes to satisfy you.” 

There it was again, the same look she saw in her at the top of the stairs, the calm control even as she held Chloe's life at a single pull of a trigger. It was the same person who trapped Chloe against the table in the hotel room and presented herself for pleasure with a simple order. _Make it quick._ The entire time Chloe thought she had the advantage, had everything under control, but within a turn of a second, Nadine, out of nowhere, always seemed to flip her around, land her back on that top stair looking up at her in wonder. No one had ever been able to upstage her so quickly, so stealthily, and so consistently like this woman and Chloe had never wanted anyone so much.

“All right,” she said. “Deal.” 

She extended a hand.

“Good.” Nadine shook it. “Now, give back the card key.”

Chloe cursed, retrieved the card, and handed it back with an exaggerated huff that she was sure all but amused Nadine.

-

It was nearly two in the morning when Chloe trailed behind Nadine into the banquet room that served as Shoreline's command center. Jeremiah Ross was seated at a table with one other man. He acknowledged Nadine with a nod as she pulled an extra chair and motioned to Chloe to take a seat. Chloe did so without letting a word come out of her mouth, which Nadine did not yet know how thankful she should be about. 

“She's under my watch twenty-four-seven until I can verify her as a non-threat,” Nadine told them.

Jeremiah nodded. “Of course. As thorough as ever, Nadine.” 

But then he grinned at his daughter and the other man chuckled beneath his breath. Nadine gave a small shake of her head but let out a soft smile. The small exchange was fascinating to Chloe and the warmth she felt from Jeremiah was not one she would have guessed someone of his infamy would have. 

“Els was updating me on a situation. It's in your best interest to listen as well,” Jeremiah said. “Go ahead Lieutenant.” 

Chloe perked when she heard the name and turned to peek at the man everyone looked at. He was older than she was, shaggy blonde hair, with three days worth of stubble on his chin, but she would recognize that voice anywhere. Thomas Els was her contact in Shoreline and he was every bit as she imagined him. Charming on the surface but with his own motivations inside. She was pretty sure neither Nadine nor Jeremiah knew how easy it was to strike a deal with him. 

“Trouble players this year are the usual suspects. Alcazar warrants tighter watch, though,” Els said, sitting straighter in his chair. “And he's not too happy the Chief stole his bid. Started saying some shit. I put a tail on him.” 

“I can handle Alcazar.” Nadine scoffed and sat back, folding her arms across her chest.

“Sure, Chief. When a pretty thing hasn't got your head.” Els grinned at her, snuck a look at Chloe, and then returned his gaze forward. “In the mean time, I've got your blind spots covered while you take care of her, eh?” 

“With all do respect, sir, you can suck it.” Nadine returned his grin with a smirk and he laughed.

“All right, all right. Enough.” Jeremiah raised a hand and then let out a cough. He took in a breath and everyone in that room could hear the slight wheeze in it. Chloe did not miss the concern that flashed in Nadine's eyes. 

“Hector Alcazar is gaining more influence with every year that passes, Chief,” Jeremiah said. “He could be our client soon. You're going to have to remain cordial. As always, keep your ears open. The best thing we get out of this job is the insight in the power plays and with Alcazar gaining traction, it's going to be shifting soon. We'll need to stay ahead of that.”

Both Els and Nadine nodded and replied in unison.

“Yes, sir.” 

Then Jeremiah stood from the chair, announcing his intention to retire for the night. Nadine stood to offer a hand, but he waved her away. 

“Do you want your bourbon?” she asked. 

He shook his head and patted her shoulder. Then wished them a good night before coming to Chloe where he paused. Chloe stood now and extended her hand, which he took in his own warm dry one. He gave it a squeeze.

“Chloe Frazer,” she said. Then added, awkwardly. “Sir.” 

“Interesting name. Frazer.” He mused. “Don't keep her up too much longer, Frazer. Even youth needs sleep. Walk with me, Els.” 

Els jumped to his feet with an affirmative. As he passed by them, he patted Nadine on the shoulder and then nodded toward Chloe. 

“Ms. Frazer,” he said, giving her a knowing look. She nodded back. 

Then they were out the door leaving a Nadine still slightly scandalized at her father's words and at the mercy of an amused Chloe. The embarrassment she saw on Nadine's face was fascinating, especially with the look of her determined and resolved so fresh in her memory. Nadine scoffed when she noticed Chloe's amusement and led her out of the room, flicking the lights off behind them. When they took to the stairs, Chloe admired Nadine's posture, upright, alert, shoulders back and head high. She walked as if she were much taller and her presence took up the expanse of the hallway. 

She wanted to ask how much Nadine trusted Els, but that would be inserting herself into things that did not concern her. In two days time, she would be on her way to the coast where Vijaya and his followers landed and whatever happened within Shoreline's ranks would be out of sight, out of mind. 

Chloe caught up to her and matched pace, let her hand brush Nadine's and gave her a smile when she looked her way. They walked silently until they reached her room. The click of the lock seemed to resonate in the hall. When the door was open, Nadine placed a hand at the small of Chloe's back and guided her in. It was such a small thing, her hand there, but it was warm and counterintuitive to their arrangement. 

When the door clicked shut behind them, Nadine took hold of her elbow and pulled her back, hooking a hand to the back of her neck to pull her close. She kissed her just to test it out at first, soft but with an overwhelming certainty no one could argue. Her calloused finger tips were a contrast to her tender tongue, but everything about Nadine was adorably earnest in the way she kissed her, held her, hard muscle cradling her tenderly in the entryway of the room. 

Then Nadine pulled away just enough to stroke her cheek, seemingly oblivious to how winded and wooed she'd left Chloe feeling.

“All right,” Nadine said with a nod, turning toward the bathroom. “I'm beat.” 

She announced that she was showering and that they both should think about sleep. Six am was four precious hours away and they would need all the sleep they could get before then. Chloe only grasped half of her words. The rest of her was preoccupied with being thankful she only had two more days in the presence of Nadine Ross. Some real damage could be done otherwise.

Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3.18.2019 
> 
> So, originally, I'd planned for a young Jeremiah to have been the hired hand to kill Chloe's father. I think her father should have accepted the inevitable with a kind of grace that impressed Jeremiah, so he granted the man his last wish. He packaged up the figure of Ganesh and sent it to his daughter in Australia, a Chloe Frazer, a name he hadn't forgotten. 
> 
> I'd been saving this head cannon, but I don't think I'll get around to writing it, so there ya go.


	3. Due Diligence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Come on, soldier. Convince me you're worth the wait."

Nadine had come out of the shower to find Chloe stretched out belly down on the bed dressed in a Shoreline button down Nadine had thrown her. She'd laid her cheek on her folded elbows and rested her eyes, one ankle lightly crossed over another. Nadine paused. She was so tired, but a jolt of desire shot right to her crotch. Jesus, that ass. 

Chloe had opened her eyes. Then she smirked and readjusted herself. 

“See something you like?” 

Nadine huffed. She hadn't yet learned how to cover up moments she'd been taken off guard. She draped the towel on the back of a chair and then came around to the empty side of the bed where she pulled back a corner. 

“I'll have one of the Privates get you a change of clothes in the morning,” Nadine told her and gave the blankets beneath Chloe a small tug.

Chloe lazily rolled over and stood to let Nadine draw back the covers completely.

“Or you could just let me run and grab my own,” she said.

Nadine gave her a look. “Sure. Then you'll never return and I'll wonder where you left the body for me to find.” 

At this, Chloe shifted her weight from one leg to the other, folding her arms across her chest. The action drew the shirt tails a little higher up her thigh. Nadine averted her eyes and climbed into the bed, every muscle of her body nearly giving way to the soft mattress. 

“Do you really think I'm here to assassinate one of these men?” Chloe asked her. 

Nadine shrugged. “It's not my job to deliberate probability. I only have to be concerned with possibility.” 

She found the way Chloe considered her in that moment perplexing, reminiscent of the look she received when she had confirmed Jeremiah Ross was her father. She was about to say something when Chloe rounded the end of the bed and started for the bathroom. 

“I shouldn't find you as attractive as I do, Nadine Ross.” 

The words trailed behind her with a mild air of frustration, perhaps even indignity. Still, Nadine felt the heat on her cheeks and the small smile on her lips that she failed to contain as she sank beneath the covers and lay down, fingers laced behind her head against the pillow as her eyes closed. She heard the water run and then the shower. She was beat and had been up nearly forty-eight straight hours, but she still waited to allow herself sleep until she heard the the water turn off, waited through the sound of the faucet and the crinkling of plastic as the complimentary toothbrush package was opened and discarded. Finally, the faucet was silent and the door opened.

This was the tell-tale moment, Nadine knew. She remained still, eyes closed, discerning Chloe's actions with the sounds she made. She approached the bed and then stopped, stood still for an uncomfortably long moment. Chloe called her name. She didn't answer. All she did was wait.

Nadine would have her on the ground before she made it to the door, of course, but part of her was curious. Perhaps it was the same part of her that refused to have a soldier posted outside her room in case an escape attempt came later; the part of her that naively trusted this woman to stay. Or perhaps simply wanted her to. Nadine was honest enough to admit she wasn't sure which one it was yet.

Finally, Chloe moved, first away from the bed toward the far wall where she switched off a lamp, and then to Nadine's side of the bed where she flipped off the last lamp. Then, once again, she rounded the edge to her side. The bed rocked with her weight as she climbed in and settled under the covers in the dark beside Nadine After a few more moments, the bed rocked again as she scooted closer. 

“I'm putting my butt on you because all this space between us is awkward and I hate awkward,” Chloe said. 

Nadine tried to hold down the laugh. She really did, but she failed, and she was quickly joined by Chloe's laughter.

“Shut up and go to bed,” Nadine said as she rolled turned away onto her side, but she didn't move away when Chloe covered the distance between them again.

Nadine had sworn her eyes were closed for just a moment, but when she opened them again, it was morning and Chloe was curled toward her, the fingers of one hand lightly gripping the sleeve of her shirt. She was fast asleep still. Something in Nadine unlatched, coming undone and scattering all along her insides. She gathered it all back up with a deep breath and lightly shook Chloe's shoulder.

“Come on, Frazer,” she said. “It's morning.” 

Without opening her eyes, Chloe frowned, and Nadine left her to head toward the bathroom and the bit of space where she could properly shove whatever it was she just felt back in place and fasten it properly so it didn't happen again.

-

Nadine stood on one end of the grand ballroom that was designated something similar to a vendor's room. She surveyed the bodies in her area looking for any indication of unrest. The hotel staff had been told that it was a harmless gun show and the tables were set up with various firearms one could find in any shop. These, though not useless, were not the draw for this event. The real merchandise was not showcased or printed in any catalogues of manifests. The real quantity of purchases were not accurately reflected in merchant logs. This was a place for men of certain standing involved with certain businesses to learn the other players in the field, where alliances were forged, strengthened, or broken and solidified into rivalries. 

She had given Chloe a single instruction that could only be described as a strong advisement because Chloe was the sort of woman who flat out refused to have rules. She was to stay within Nadine's line of sight, preferably within thirty meters so she could be reached within moments. Nadine didn't trust Chloe, but she also didn't trust any of the men and didn't them causing her distress. Other than that, Chloe was free(-ish) enough to explore. 

Nadine would never admit that her eye tracked to her figure more frequently than it should have and not for any of the reasons she told herself. She liked how Chloe looked in her borrowed white tank tucked in her tight khaki pants. She liked the way Chloe moved, effortlessly amongst these men, lacking fear or judgement with a genuine interest that wasn't fueled by naive excitement. Chloe seemed to have the proper respect for the violence these men were capable, but also didn't seem to hold that against them. She didn't know what Chloe was, but she knew for a fact no scholar was that comfortable with the likes of Shoreline and men like them.While one of the men seated at a table of rifles struck up a conversation with her, Els came sidling up beside Nadine. 

“There was a small scuffle between Romero and Ortiz' boys. Martin got it sorted, but I'm pretty sure Ortiz is going to try something again.” Els crossed his arms. 

Nadine nodded her acknowledgement. “Make sure all the bathrooms are covered and each stairwell on the first four floors needs eyes. I want a rotating shift on each elevator.” 

“That's going to leave you light here.” 

“It's fine. I can manage.” 

Els nodded, then looked at Chloe. “You sure it's a good idea to let her wander like this?”

“She would be more trouble if I didn't.”

“We have ways of dealing with potential threats, Chief.” 

“And not enough man power to devote to those ways. I want every man of this detail available. I can handle one woman.” 

Els made a noise that made it clear he had thoughts on this, but was relinquishing the conversation for now. He outranked her and was usually lead in operations like this, but he had been gracious to step down for this one at Jeremiah's request, to see just where his progeny stood. Nadine had personally thanked Els for the opportunity to prove herself. 

She noted how Chloe laughed and touched the vendor's arm to steady herself and saw Hector Alcazar round the other side of the table, inserting himself into their conversation. Her eyes narrowed as she monitored the interaction. 

“Ah, I know that face,” Els said, inching closer to her side. “You're jealous.” 

She set her lips in a grim line. “You're mistaken, sir.” 

She'd known him since she was a child, since he was just a young private looking to follow Jeremiah into power and greatness. This was why he could look at her now and read her aggravatingly accurately. They both knew he was right, which is why neither of them bothered to voice it. 

“Have you still not gotten your money's worth out of her?” he asked. “Better hurry before Alcazar gives her a better offer.” 

At the exact moment at the table, Alcazar had taken hold of Chloe's wrist which she tried to yank away. The vendor tried to intervene on her behalf but Alcazar gave him what looked like a snarl. Nadine was across the room in five seconds. She grabbed firm hold of the arm that held Chloe and kicked Alcazar's chair from beneath him, forcing him to stand. 

“Don't touch a woman who isn't interested, Mr. Alcazar,” Nadine said, holding his hand at a painful angle. She gave a quick glance behind her to Chloe. “You all right?” 

Chloe rubbed her wrist where he'd held her and nodded. “Yeah. Nothing I can't handle.” 

Alcazar's men jumped back, moving to pull weapons she knew they had but were not supposed to according to Godsafe's rules. Everyone knew no one paid attention to that rule. He pulled his arm free and glowered at her. 

“Que chingados,” Alcazar said with a steady voice that dripped with poison. “I hope this puta is worth it for you, cabron.”

“She's apparently worth more than you can afford, eh?” Nadine said as Els and a few of her men came up behind her. 

“All right, enough,” Els said, stepping between them. “Tell your men to step down, Hector. You know you need the connections you can make with Godsafe. Is it worth throwing that all away because of a bruised ego?”

Alcazar studied Els carefully for a tense moment, before pointing a finger at Nadine. “Tell your boss he needs to keep a muzzle on her.” 

Then he and his men backed up and slinked away like snakes in tall grass. Els shot Nadine a look and she gave him a nod, lifting a hand. _Yeah, yeah. I know._ Then he too turned around and walked off with their men. For the weekend, he was supposed to address her with the proper respect offered the lead on an operation, but he still outranked her and she knew what that look he gave her meant. _Figure out what you're doing with this woman and do it already._

-

Nadine grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, leading them into the surveillance room which Shoreline had complete access to. Godsafe owned the whole hotel, which make this operation ten times easier otherwise. Jeremiah sat in a seat behind a Private assigned to man the cameras and acknowledged them both with a nod. 

“Ms. Frazer,” he said.

Chloe mimicked his nod. 

“Mr. Shoreline.” 

That made his smile. 

“You called, sir?” Nadine asked, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the slight wheeze that came with his breath. It was just a touch of a chest cold, she knew, but he should have stayed in South Africa to fully recover. 

“We have a problem,” Jeremiah said after dismissing the Private and the three of them were alone in the room. “Godsafe isn't happy with what happened in the ballroom with Alcazar this morning.” 

“I had that under control.” 

“I'm not happy either, Corporal.” 

Any words Nadine had ready were swallowed at the use of her real rank within Shoreline's chain of command and she knew the next words out of her father's mouth were something more serious than this one operation in Sri Lanka. 

“Godsafe believes that women are not to be trusted in our line of work, that women are emotional creatures by nature and cannot be counted upon to lead men in organized violence,” Jeremiah said, leaning back in his chair. 

The muscles of her jaw tensed and Nadine held his gaze, because that was respectful when receiving criticism in Shoreline, from her father, and as a child of Jeremiah Ross. She knew better than to say anything, but her one mistake was not letting their guest in on the protocol.

“And what do you think?” Chloe asked him, “sir.”

“I think the corporal needs to reconsider her strengths and weaknesses and in what ways she needs to develop from here on,” Jeremiah said, tactfully, but still with the critical edge of judgment. Then he set his gaze on Chloe. “To start with, she needs to get you out of her system.”

If he had intended offense, Chloe did not feel it. After all, this was only just play for both she and Nadine. Once this weekend was finished, she was sure they would be out of each other's lives forever. Shoreline was not something she wanted to fool around with more than she needed to. 

She returned his gaze and nodded before she said, “Well, that's one thing she and I have in common and you and I can agree upon, at least.”

Jeremiah let out a quiet but amused chuckle. “I appreciate your candor, Ms. Frazer.”

Nadine stood straight. She'd heard enough and had no more patience. She said, bluntly, “You want me to leave Shoreline.” 

“That's the last thing I want,” he said with a shake of his head. “But maybe there are some things you're better off not learning from me.”

Behind him on the surveillance screens, Nadine saw some men crowd into a stairwell, arms hooked suspiciously around the neck of a third man who clearly was going to regret the next few minutes of his life. It was the perfect excuse to end this conversation here. It wasn't one she wanted to have now, especially in front of an audience. The men would most likely be gone by the time they arrived anyway. 

“There's some trouble in the southeast stairwell. I need to check it out.” Nadine nodded toward the screens. She started to tell Chloe to wait here, but then swallowed the words immediately when she realized it wasn't the smartest idea to leave her alone with her father. She wasn't sure what bad could come of it, but she was sure something bad would.

“Right. Then let's go.” Chloe stepped back toward the door and made a show of waiting, as if she was the one in control here. Years from now, Nadine would find this admirable, even endearing. Right now, she was just irritated, more so because her father was also amused at her irritation. 

-

As they made their way through the hallways, Chloe walked beside her with her hands clasped behind her head, elbows pointed toward the ceiling. With exaggerated motions, she extended her arm in a wide arch into the space between them and then slid her hand in Nadine's back pocket. 

“Subtle,” Nadine said, but let out a soft laugh despite herself. 

“As many ways as it takes, remember?” Chloe winked at her and then gave a soft squeeze before pulling her hand out as they turned a corner. “And I seem to recall someone falling asleep last night before she could afford me her due diligence.” 

“Any due diligence you think you were owed evaporated the moment you put your butt on me.”

Chloe answered her with a smile. As they neared the end of a hallway, she placed her hand flat against Nadine's chest and backed her into the corner beside the stairwell entrance, keeping her at an arm's length. 

“You owe me a little something for last night,” she said. She puckered her lips and tapped them playfully with a finger. “Come on, soldier. Convince me you're worth the wait.” 

Strands of black hair fell across her forehead and she lightly bit her bottom lip as she grinned, sizing Nadine up and down. Her cheeks were flushed with undeniable desire that made Nadine's breath catch. Nadine usually had great control over herself and her own personal desires, could say no to a beautiful women with ease, but not this one. A simple touch and she was so easily guided into place. A single smile and she was ready to kiss upon request. It wasn't like Nadine to effortlessly comply to the requests of a woman, but this woman… Her father was right. She needed to get this out of her system.

She fisted the front of Chloe's shirt and pulled her close, eyes trained on her lips, and she felt warm hands come to rest on her hips, holding her still as Chloe stepped forward, pressing their hips together. Chloe waited.

“You're breath taking,” Nadine said, solemnly, because it was true. “And insufferable.” Also true. “I wouldn't dare disappoint someone like that.” 

She yanked her close and kissed her, putting all her promises into its ferocity. She winced when Chloe bit her bottom lip. If a grown woman could giggle seductively, Chloe did then, and that something from earlier fluttered within Nadine again. Christ. Nadine would be too glad when this convention was over and she had complete control over her body and emotions again.

They both heard the gunshot echo in the stairwell right through the door beside them. Nadine was against the wall beside the door in an instant, weapon drawn as she crouched to peer up through the glass, her free hand, taking hold of the door handle. She ordered Chloe behind her just as she noticed her flatten herself against the other side of the door. 

“Give me a gun,” Chloe said. 

“I”m not trusting you with a weapon, Frazer.” 

“Are you being serious right now?” Chloe looked back at her incredulously, keeping her head low and out of sight. 

Nadine peeked back out and return her bewildered look with one of her own before firing a few shots at the two men above them. “Does it even look like I'm carrying an extra one right now?” 

“Why the bloody hell wouldn't you?” 

Nadine gaped at her, but the look was cut short before a volley of gunfire rained against the hallway door. She didn't have time to argue like this. She unclipped the walkie from her waist and called in her location, then she tossed the walkie to Chloe and peered up through the narrow glass window in the door. 

“Stay here until Els arrives.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“We're not negotiating this.” 

“So far, our negotiations have not panned out so well for me, Ross.”

Nadine groaned in frustration, wondering how she could have looked at this woman with fondness that morning. Their location was clearly blown, there were two men with guns trained on the door she was going to have to open eventually, and all Chloe could do was argue with her. Nadine knew it was stupid before she did it, but she dashed across the door anyway. As another few rounds of gunfire collided with the metal door, Nadine threw out an arm and shoved both Chloe and herself against the wall out of range. 

“Keep arguing with me and we'll both be too dead to care if the wait is worth it,” she spat over her shoulder at Chloe. “Stay here. Be safe. Meet you back in the room. That's the best I can do, Frazer. Take it or leave it.” 

The irritation on Chloe's face, not at Nadine, but at the situation was not lost on Nadine. She knew the feeling well, the sheer annoyance at having to do something that was the exact opposite of what would be fundamental who she was. The curse that escaped Chloe's lips was genuine.

“All right. Fine. Go be a damned hero.”

Finally, Nadine turned back toward the door. Cautiously, she leaned over and pushed the long door handle at an angle and pushed the door open, drawing back quickly to the safety of the wall. The door slowly opened to a silent stairwell and she cleared the corner right before the next flight of steps. She moved forward, checking the corner behind the door, the descending stair and then above them in a counter clockwise sweep. She caught sight of the door on the landing above just before it clicked shut. 

Then she was off, taking the steps two at a time until she yanked the door open and dashed through.

Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't be the only one who says stuff like "I'm going to put my butt on you" when going to bed with a s.o. Seriously, right?


	4. Traps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gets what she wanted, but at what expense for Nadine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this really difficult to write. It's still not where I would like it to be, but I'm tired of trying and failing at finding what it's missing to me. So, alas, here it is.

Els had found Chloe not too long after Nadine disappeared on the floor above. She was still seething with annoyance and frustration and was even more upset that she wasn't sure exactly what she was worked up over. She was smarter than to risk her life carelessly and definitely smarter than to do it for or with someone she hadn't known a full week, but she was still frustrated. This feeling wasn't like her and she wasn't sure she liked that anyone could effect her this way. There was a kind of powerlessness to it, a sudden loss of autonomy… two things Chloe did not contend with well.

If Els had taken much longer, she would have pushed herself off that wall, gathered her things from her secret room she had not touched since the day before, and left the Royale Inn without looking back. Because she knew she was being indulgent, knew there was no real reason for her to stay here, that every minute she was not heading toward Kuveni's mountain range was another minute wasted. 

Thomas Els had rounded the corner and saw her in the midst of thought, arms still folded across her chest. She didn't see him at first, but when she did, she pushed herself from the wall and let her arms hang loosely, almost awkwardly, another thing that was unlike her. 

This was the first time they'd gotten a chance to speak without Nadine somewhere nearby and she was sure he was burning up with a million questions and annoying concerns if she had to hazard a guess.

“Where's the chief?” he asked, making the same preliminary safety checks she assumed Nadine would make. He peeked up through narrow window in the gray metal door from one side to the other, weapon drawn.

“Off playing hero,” she said, trying her best to use the aloof tone she missed hearing on her voice. She tossed a finger toward the door. “There's a dead guy down there, by the way.” 

Els opened the doorway slowly and then peered over the railing and said, “Huh.”

“Friend of yours?” 

“Nope.” He holstered his weapon and held the door for her to follow. They took to the staircase leading down. “So what did you find in that room?” 

Chloe shrugged, remembering the thread she'd pilfered from the portrait still wound around itself and tucked inside the pocket of her khaki pants. She still wasn't sure what it was, what made it glimmer in the lone beam of Nadine's light or if it was worth anything at all, and she wasn't comfortable letting him in on the details until she knew what she had. 

“A possible clue that the legend, the myth, and the wonder of Vijaya's version of events might not be accurate,” she said. “I won't know until I go there, of course.” 

“But you're certain we'll find something worth it in that gorge?” he pressed, the sounds of their footsteps echoing alongside each other in the hall.

“Certainty is a rare commodity in this line of work, mate.” 

Els looked at her, heavy boots coming to a stop on the metal stairway with a empty thud. He looked incredulous, offended even, and his thick eyebrows furrowed along his tanned skin. 

“We had a deal and you'll need me when you're done here and off galavanting around in hostile territory,” he said. “If you'll ever be done here, that is.” 

“Sounds like someone's got a problem with what I do with my free time.” Chloe crossed her arms, a hip jutting out as she rested all her weight one leg. “Or rather, who I do it with, maybe. Let's not forget who knows how to get there.” 

He straightened and up brushed passed her and said, “You've got your facts crossed. You need me in the near future, Frazer, not the other way around. You're already doing what I need you for. All I had to do was put you in her way.” 

“Hang on. What are you talking about?” she said, immediately, reaching out to grab his elbow. He paused, looked at her offending hand and shrugged it off before setting upon her the coldest stare she'd seen grace his face. 

“Shoreline, Frazer. We're talking about Shoreline,” he said. “How else did you think I was going to supply this expedition? Volunteers?” 

Chloe felt the surprise melt away to shock and then, surprisingly, disgust as the realization came to her. She withdrew completely, stepping back, and letting her hands dangle at her sides. Her lips curled as she drew in a breath and then cursed. God fucking dammit. Els didn't need her to be his treasure hunter. He needed her to be Nadine's downfall in Shoreline. 

If Nadine were any other person, perhaps Chloe wouldn't have minded, but she wasn't anyone else. She was Nadine Ross, the one and the same who held her behind closed doors and kissed her so ardently it left her winded. She was Nadine Ross who stirred in her sleep but suddenly quieted adorably when Chloe reached over in the dark and placed her hand soft and flat upon her back, who could not contain the blush or want that flashed across her face when she came out of the bathroom and saw Chloe stretched belly down on the bed.

Chloe chided herself. Those were such little inconsequential moments in an inconsequential encounter with a woman she wasn't sure she'd ever see again. What was she getting herself worked up over? It'd been, what, forty-eight hours maybe? Get your shit together, Frazer.

Now it was her turn to brush by him to take the last flight of stairs head on. She said, “There was no need for manipulation. I would have done it for the fun of it anyway. Probably.”

He chuckled softly as he came in step beside her and said, “Noted for future reference. It takes all types for Chloe Frazer.” 

She fought the grim line she could feel becoming of her lips. It wasn't her business, she told herself. After tomorrow, it was none of her business. Her conscious would be clear. But something grumbled in the pit of her being, where she shoved all things precious or concerning. 

-

Per the security chief's instructions, Els escorted her to Nadine's room. Per his instructions, a private was stationed outside the door and she was told, not asked, to stay. Els had smirked at the look she gave him, a hand catching the door before it closed between them.

“Well, I'll leave it to you then. An hour should be fine. Anymore time beyond that is appreciated.” 

He gave a wink and a click of his tongue. Without response, Chloe merely removed his hand from the door and let it shut like doing so would remove the uneasiness in her. Fuck, Frazer, what's wrong with you? You've been looking forward to having Nadine all weekend. How badly could this end up if she were just a little bit selfish? She frowned. And when did she start caring about this – her – so much? She caught herself and took in a breath. No, she didn't care. Not like that. That would be completely irrational and Chloe was adventurous, not crazy.

Chloe heard the door unlock and spun around just in time to see Nadine push it open and walk in. She was surprised at the relief she felt. She was not prepared for the look of amusement on Nadine's face, especially when her mood had been much different when they'd parted.

“You're still here,” Nadine said, letting the door shut behind her. “I'm surprised you listened to anything I said.” 

Chloe let out a small smile, averting her gaze, and said, “Yes, well. One good deed a day, you know?” 

She watched as Nadine crossed the room, held her ground silently as she came to stand before her. She had too many flashes of emotions but nothing complete enough that could be translated into words yet. It was rare Chloe didn't have the words, but she always hated the times it happened. Now was no exception. If there was one thing Chloe truly admired about Nadine, it was that she understood intuitively now was not a time for a lot of words.

Nadine's good humor quickly melted and she placed a warm hand on Chloe's shoulder. The concern on her face was somewhat surprising. She wasn't accustomed to coming across this amount of concern from someone she'd just met. No, she thought. Don't do it, Chloe. Don't fall into a trap. The consequences weren't hers to pay and it didn't concern her anyway. Take your pleasure and go.

She reached out and took hold of Nadine's hand, using it as a tether so she could side step and position her between herself and the foot of the bed. Then with a hand flat against her chest, she pushed Nadine backwards, climbing up after her and straddling her lap, keeping their eyes locked. 

Nadine merely watched, propping herself on her elbows as she lounged, as if content to let Chloe do whatever she wanted, which earned her no argument. Chloe supported herself on palms flat against the bed on either side of Nadine and seized her lips with her own, hair spilling over on shoulder as she hovered above. She was greedy and selfish, using a hand to guide Nadine's to the small of her back and her stomach. 

“I don't remember the last time someone was worth all this trouble,” she said against Nadine's neck, grazing her teeth along the smooth skin, feeling the small contraction as Nadine swallowed. 

“You're spoiled rotten then,” Nadine said, hands coming to the small of Chloe's back where she gently raked her nails. The touch almost made Chloe shudder. “But you have been good – .” 

Chloe bit into Nadine's shoulder. “No, you don't get to do that. You owe me, remember?” 

“That's not how I remember our arrangement.” 

“It's how _I_ remember it.” 

Nadine smirked then, out of amusement, gave a faint shrug of her shoulders and said, “Sure. Fine. Have it your way.” 

Now Chloe eyed her with a smile of her own. Oh, Nadine didn't know a thing abut her. Her voice was nothing short of sultry velvet when she said, “I always do.” 

She kissed her now, harder than before, and removed Nadine's hands from her waist and using her knees on her palms to pin them against the mattress. Nadine's eyebrow arched but swallowed her words when Chloe put her finger to them. _Oh, no, love. You don't get to touch right now._

She gripped the hem of her shirt and straightened as she pulled it up and over her head, tossing it carelessly on the floor somewhere. The futile squirm of the hands beneath her knees made her smile and she dug them in more just to drive the point home before sitting back completely on Nadine's pelvis. She wasn't going to lie. She almost desperately wanted Nadine's hands on her, anywhere, everywhere, but she liked the look of want she saw in her eyes, reveled in the fact that she could render this stoic, resolute soldier eager and hungry. Chloe reached behind her let her fingers tease along the crease of the pants where she could feel Nadine's growing heat and smiled when she saw her chest rise with the breath. She slipped the tips of her fingers in the small forgiving space where her legs met her crotch, lingered long enough to feel that nearly imperceptible shift of the hips beneath her, and then withdrew her fingers completely. 

“You're enjoying this too much,” Nadine said, maintaining a steady voice with impressive bravado Chloe made note to strip her of later. 

“Actually, I've been displaying great self-restraint. Not something I normally enjoy.” Chloe smiled and dragged her fingertips down the length of Nadine's front, letting her palms cup and linger over the rise of her breasts. She pulled at the hem of the shirt, giving herself a peek of the smooth muscle beneath it. 

Chloe felt Nadine's fingers around her knees as she gripped and wasn't prepared when Nadine lifted her enough off the mattress to slide her hands free and drop her back down. Chloe had angled forward in surprise and the small collision pressed her sensitive clitoris against the seam of her pants, making it swell a little more with the contact. The groan betrayed her. She had to lower her chin and close her eyes, supporting herself with palms flat against Nadine's shoulders. With just a small flick of her hip, Nadine was in too perfect of a position, and her body was nearly trembling with frustration.

Fuck it, she thought and moved her hips, easing herself into the grind. Somehow, Nadine had her khakis unbuttoned without her realizing it and she felt the gentle probing of exploring finger tips beneath the lining of her underwear that sent blood rushing just below them. Fuck it. She needed to feel Nadine's naked skin against her, couldn't wait any longer. Chloe tugged at Nadine's gray tank until Nadine obliged her by sitting up to let her pull both it and her sports bra off her. Chloe kissed her fiercely, hands sliding up the taut abdomen, over the beautiful small weight of her breast until her fingers brushed the hardened nipple. She felt her own bra unfasten from behind slipping down the shoulders. 

She rolled off Nadine only long enough for both of them to wriggle out of their pants and then Nadine was on her fast, greedy lip meeting hers. She tried to catch her breath between kisses, but when she felt her nipples caught between calloused fingers, she squirmed and Nadine claimed the moan before it could even escape. 

“Shh,” Nadine said. “There's a soldier at the door. You don't want him to hear, do you?” 

“Oh, who gives a fuck what he hears?” Chloe asked lost in ire that she had to think about anything else but the way Nadine took her nipple in her mouth, batting it around gently with her tongue while she pinched and plucked the other. 

“You don't care if he hears you?” 

“Nadine, right now I don't care if the goddamned pope hears me,” she said, propping herself on her elbows. 

“Suit yourself.” 

Nadine nipped her way down Chloe's stomach, each bite making her muscles spasm and her body jerk until she reached the tender flesh of her pelvis. Nadine slid her hand down the length of her left thigh and then threw Chloe's leg over her shoulder, catching Chloe's gaze. The way she looked at her, controlled, but patient. Chloe didn't know if she were teasing or waiting for an invitation. 

Nadine drew her tongue up the length of her, just briefly catching the tip of her clitoris and Chloe nearly collapsed under the sheer frustration that followed the sharp but fleeting arousal. Nadine lowered herself on the bed and then threw Chloe's other leg over her other shoulder, gripping her waist once more and pulling Chloe's entire body closer to her. 

“Let's see how loud you can be then.” 

She barely had time to let her breath out before she felt Nadine take her in her mouth, her tongue dipping deep between her folds before she formed a firm suction around her clit and stroke it hard with her tongue, pushing so hard against her, Chloe could feel herself brace against the bed. She gripped Nadine's hair, curling her body forward as her muscles tensed unexpectedly. Jesus, she was usually easy to get off, but never this quickly. When she opened her eyes, she caught Nadine watching her again.

She felt the probing fingers when their eyes were still linked. _Oh, god_ was all she managed to think before Nadine pushed inside. Chloe's head lulled. Her pelvis jerked. Her clit throbbed. Her voice, caught painfully at the back of her throat, dislodged when she threw her head back and arched her back with each thrust Nadine timed perfectly with a sharp suck of her clit. She had nothing but obscenities in her.

“Jesus fuck.” She pushed herself harder against Nadine nearly rubbing herself against her tongue. Nadine obliged and held her tongue flat and still for her. Chloe could feel her body twisting with the need for release, every muscle straining to contain the pent up energy, but she just couldn't seem to get there. She needed Nadine deeper, fuller… something. She shot forward, sliding her legs from her shoulders so she could pull Nadine up with her for a starved kiss and hooked an arm around her neck. 

“I need you a lot harder than that,” she said, pressing their foreheads together. “I can't-.” 

She couldn't finish the sentence before Nadine was back inside her, leaning her back for a better angle. Chloe had to brace herself with her free arm, the other still wrapped tight around her neck. It wasn't the penetration that did it for her. It was the underside of Nadine's knuckles rubbed maddeningly against her clitoris with each push in. The first orgasm was superficial but still nice. It was the second one riding on the heels of that puny first one that caught Chloe off guard, throwing her muscles into spasms as her hands frantically searched for something to hold on to, nails catching the flesh of Nadine's back and holding on, her own muscles contracting and even her toes to curl until she couldn't hold anymore. Her arm gave way and she unraveled completely with the orgasm that rushed through her. 

She had to be still for a minute to collect herself, allow herself the time to breathe, and come back. Somewhere beside her she heard Nadine chuckle, felt the bed shift with her movement. 

“Christ, you got a set of lungs on you, china,” she heard. 

Chloe blinked. China. She'd heard that word before this weekend, especially among the Shoreline men. She made a mental note of it and swallowed dry air. She tried to sit up, but her limbs felt like jelly and she spread out face down on the mattress. 

“Give me a second, love,” she said. 

“Take your time.” 

Nadine kissed the small of her back just before the rise of her ass, hands smoothing up and down her thighs almost possessively. Her hands moved up her body from the small of her back to her shoulders and then she felt Nadine straddle her. 

“You like to be in charge, don't you?” she heard, warm breath creeping along her rib cage along the side of her breast. 

“I don't like taking orders.” Chloe's voice trailed when Nadine pulled her hair to one side and then raked her teeth down her shoulder. 

“You good at giving them?” 

“Why?” Chloe breathed when Nadine sat back and she could feel how she wet she was. “You good at following them?”

Nadine chuckled. “Not yours.”

At this, Chloe bucked her hips a little to bump against Nadine's crotch and was pleased at how her breath caught in her throat. She smirked and did it again. 

“You like that, eh?” Chloe asked, then echoed Nadine from earlier, “china?” 

She didn't have a chance to do it a third time, because Nadine placed her hand to Chloe's back, just below her neck, put her weight on it, and moved against the rise of Chloe's ass. She was slow at first, testing the new position. Then harder when she found the right place, where her clit met Chloe's flesh in just the right way. Chloe tensed her muscle just as Nadine moved down and heard Nadine groan. 

It was like all her will had left. She felt Nadine push her hard against the mattress as she transferred all her weight to her arms to move her pelvis freely, rubbing so hard against Chloe's body rocked with movement. She felt the spot growing more and more tender and bruised with each forceful downward thrust of Nadine's pelvis. Nadine's breath grew jagged now until her voice broke through, growing louder with each forceful rub until Chloe couldn't tell if she was grunting or shouting. Then she came down hard one last time and was still. Chloe could feel her arms tremble.

Nadine collapsed on top of her and they were both quiet and still, breathing. She rolled off her and lay limp beside her where Chloe could see her. Her eyes were closed, sweat beading around her temples on her dark lovely skin. 

“God, I knew I liked your ass for a reason,” Nadine said, between breathes. 

Chloe chuckled. “You almost broke my tailbone, I think.” 

“Worth it.” 

Chloe gave her shoulder a playful push, but it was enough to knock Nadine onto her back as she laughed. She followed her, coming to half lay on her so she could peer down at her as she finished coming down from her high. 

“You should laugh more often,” Chloe said. “You have a pretty smile.” 

Nadine blushed and looked away, which made Chloe laugh even more. She pressed a soft kiss to her lips. 

“So, you glad you stayed?” Nadine asked.

Chloe rolled her eyes dramatically. “Don't let it go to your head.” 

She watched as Nadine merely smiled and then closed her eyes, her bare chest rising and falling with her even breathes. Chloe drew lazy characters across the rich brown skin, thinking about how this was the most relaxed she'd seen her this entire weekend and what a shame that was. Then it occurred to her. This was a face Nadine probably didn't want to show her men. The sound of her voice riding an orgasm was a way she didn't want her men to hear her. Suddenly, Chloe regretted not being able to see her cum. 

What would she have been, Chloe wondered, if she had not been Jeremiah's daughter? Could she be anything but a proper Shoreline soldier? Her fingers trailed along her skin until they paused as she felt something akin to guilt creeping its way around her heart. She had to chase the feeling away by stealing another kiss. The first mistake she could make now, she knew, was stopping to think about it and right now, she wanted to think about getting Nadine to the point of orgasm again to see how ecstasy looked upon her finely featured face.

Continued...


	5. The Curse of Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things fall apart

In the next two years to follow, Nadine would look back on this moment and feel nothing but a heavy bitterness steel her heart. It would be another two before she would remember the feather light touches of Chloe's fingertips across her bare skin, still cooling from her earlier arousal. Chloe was warm against her chest with her head resting comfortably against the flesh of her shoulder. Nadine had never really taken the time to linger afterward with anyone she'd taken to bed before and she couldn't imagine Chloe having much patience for it either, but it was nice, resting together like this while their bodies gathered strength. 

It'd been a long couple of days and the three hours of sleep she was able to get last night was nothing more than a nap. Her body was weary. Satisfied, sure, but weary. That's why she would tell herself she idled. The truth of the moment, a truth Nadine would never admit to anyone, was that this small cuddle was the first time she had felt anything akin to content. Perhaps that was why she would try so hard to forget it.

Finally, Nadine patted Chloe's shoulder, glancing about at the discarded clothing, and said, “I have to get back.” 

She should never have come, to be truthful, not with Ortiz and Romero sanctioning open kills. She'd lost Ortiz's men not too long after following them to the fourth floor and then doubled back to meet with Els and the dead man. Els had taken one look at her, narrowed his eyes, and sent her to sleep and Nadine couldn't say no to the idea. 

Chloe had remained still, eyes closed. She made a wordless gesture with her hand as acknowledgment accompanied by a soft hum, but she made no attempt to move. Nadine suddenly felt slightly clumsy and painfully aware that she had a naked woman snuggling on top of her. She took in an even breath and then lay her head back down against the pillow.

“Back to that?” Nadine heard, the words warm at her throat. “Yeah, sure, anyone would choose them over a naked woman who just made you cum twice in a row.” 

Nadine chuckled despite herself. “Three times.” 

Chloe nodded against her neck. “You're not making your argument any stronger, china.”

“All right,” Nadine said, laying her head back after pulling the sheet over them. “Five more minutes then.” 

“Make it ten and you've got a deal.” 

“Five,” Nadine said, but smiled when Chloe blindly found her lips after a dramatic search of her face and then pressed a finger to them off-centeredly to hush her. “I can't leave Els to manage that. It's not his job.” 

Chloe situated herself in the small gap between Nadine's arm and body and propped herself up on an elbow to spy her, her dark hair falling over her shoulder. 

“How much do you trust him?” she asked her. “Els?” 

Nadine had thought it a weird question and for years to come, she would kick herself for not questioning Chloe's intentions more thoroughly before answering so easily.

“With my life,” she said, as if there were few certainties in life and this was one of them for her. “Why?” 

“No reason,” Chloe said, resting her head back against her shoulder. 

“Five minutes is almost up, Chloe.” 

Chloe didn't move. She said, “Ten.” 

-

She must have dozed off because the next thing Nadine would remember was the sound of the card key in the door. She bolted upright, alone in the bed, as Els and a few of her men entered the room, guns trained on her. There was no sign of Chloe. Els glanced about the room and waved the two soldiers back out the door to keep watch. Then bent to pick up the white tank that lay crumpled at his feet. He tossed it to her before flipping open her luggage and throwing more clothes. 

“You've got ten minutes to get dressed before Jeremiah gets here.” 

“What the hell is going on?” she asked him, as she pulled the tank over her head.

Els paused to look at her, straightened, and then said, “It's over, Nadine. It's done. The piece of ass you've been chasing all weekend? She's killed Godsafe and disappeared.” 

Nadine stopped in the middle of throwing the blanket off to stare at him, as if the words hadn't registered. 

“What?” 

They both heard the voices outside of her door before they heard the electronic whir of the lock. Els tossed her a belt and said, “I'd get dressed if I were you,” before they both turned to see the door open to Jeremiah Ross whose intense gaze was fixated solely on his daughter. 

“You said you had her under control. That she was under your watch twenty-four-seven” Jeremiah said, letting the door close behind him on its own. He accented each word that came out of his mouth next. “What. Happened. Corporal?” 

Nadine, still holding the belt she caught mid air, slipped from beneath the covers and stood, unashamed of her half-dressed state, because there was nothing to be done about it now and no amount of excuses was going to make anything about it better. 

“I was mistaken, sir,” she said, lifting her pants and pulling it on one leg at a time, the weight of her still holstered weapon attached to it making it harder than it should be. Then she looped the belt around her waist. “I misjudged her.” 

“You misjudged everything,” Jeremiah said, approaching now that she was dressed and standing at attention. “There is nothing now keeping these men from following rules. Romero and Ortiz have already left several more bodies around the hotel and taking our men down with them. We can forget about the ammunition and supplies we were supposed to receive as compensation. Alcazar wants your head. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let him have it.” 

Nadine stared forward, passed him at the wall beyond, because that's what she was trained to do. She set her jaw and held her head, took in a breath and said, “I can't.” 

She could tell that he had wanted her to say anything else other than that, so he could continue on his tirade to exhaust his personal feelings, whatever those might be. It didn't take much to approximate a guess. She was sure whatever she saw in him was only a reflection of what she felt in herself. Anger was only surface level. Underneath it there was disgust that she could allow this to happen, disapproval for how she handled it, and beneath it all, the worst feeling was disappointment in herself, in her abilities, in the knowledge that they both knew she was capable of much more than this, but that she had fallen so far short of those standards. 

She couldn't care less Godsafe was dead. Who gives a shit about him, really? Their alliance with him would have been the first thing to go if it were up to her. But it wasn't and before, perhaps there would have been a time when it would have been. Now? No, Nadine knew. Jeremiah Ross would be looking at Els exclusively for the future of Shoreline.

“You're dismissed,” he said, with a calm finality she felt was appropriate, all things considered. Then she watched him turn her back to her and lean toward Els. “Pull the men immediately. Secure whatever supplies you think you can. In thirty minutes, I want every single one of my men on our trucks. We'll arrange travel home after we're clear of this mess.” 

He turned back to her and said, “Mind your weapon, corporal. I was not joking about Alcazar.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Nadine could hear the soft echoes of gun fire somewhere beyond her door. Must be Romero and Ortiz's men fighting it out. Jesus fuck, she thought. How could things have devolved so quickly? All because she wasn't out there? Hadn't they all told her to have her fun? She pushed the thoughts away and pulled on one of her Shoreline shirts, leaving it unbuttoned, and withdrew the weapon from its holster on her thigh. Then she took her position on the opposite side of Els behind her father, the fourth point of security while two other soldiers took point before him. She knew once things blew over and they were safely on their way back to Johannesburg, she would be told in an official capacity that Shoreline no longer had a place for her, but that hadn't happened yet, and she still had a job to do.

The two lead soldiers, opened the door and fanned on either side of it before signaling them to move. They moved low and fast down the hallways toward the gunfire she knew was coming from the first floor lobby and conference rooms. Little men with big egos and bigger guns, she thought to herself. It always devolves into this is you take your eye off them. She grimaced and amended her thought. Which she did. 

They took to the grand stair case deftly, their small fire team keeping eyes out on all sides, to the sides, below, and even above to protect Jeremiah. Nadine could see some of the innocent guests running away, trying to take cover, Romero and Ortiz's men taking cover on opposite sides of the lobby. She saw the grenade launcher across the room just a split second after one of the lead soldiers did.

“Get over the edge, over, over now!” she heard him say as he hopped over the banister.

Jeremiah landed safely on the ground and had dodged out of their way. She and Els hopped one foot on the banister when the grenade exploded at the base of the stairs, the close impact knocking them off to the uneven steps where they tumbled down a few, bits of the cement staircase scattering around them. Nadine's ears were ringing with the blast and, before she could gather herself, she felt two hands fist the loose fabric of her open shirt and yank her up. A fist connected hard with her cheek. 

The blow knocked her senses out momentarily and pushed her backwards against the banister. She barely saw Alcazar come in for another punch in time to roll out of the way, searching for the weapon that had been knocked out of her hand by the blast. Another grenade exploded somewhere close by and made them stumble. 

“Make a fool of me? Of me, estupido?!” he shouted, but her hearing was too shot for her to hear before he was on her again. “Me cago en tus muertos!” 

Nadine barely had the time to block his blows with her forearms, protecting her head from the pummeling. It did little good against the knee that slammed into her ribcage and knocked the air from her lungs. Stupid, she scolded herself, trying to catch her breath once more on her hands and knees at his feet. Stupid, rookie mistake, holding her breath like that. Fuck. Stupid. Shit.

Her lungs burned for oxygen, her hearing was muffled and still ringing. Nadine spied Alcazar above her with a Glock in his hand, hammer back and a bullet chambered. He pointed the end to her. This wasn't how she thought she would go.

Behind him, she saw Els smash a small piece of concrete against the side of his head, throwing off his aim when the bullet fired. The ringing in her ears was bad now and she tugged at one while she stood as the muffling was beginning to clear up. Els and Alcazar struggled, exchanging a few blows, before Els managed to grab his arm and twist it behind his back.

Els was shouting at her. “What the fuck are you waiting for, Ross?! Hit him already!” 

She narrowed her eyes and balled her hand into a fist and said, “Gladly.” 

She took to the steps that separated them, keeping low to avoid stray bullets from the fight around her, but before she reached them, Alcazar winced and his body pushed forward with the force of a bullet in his shoulder. The sound of a rifle echoed in Nadine's ears. She first saw Alcazar drop to his knees, gripping his shoulder. Then she saw Els stumbled backward. He coughed blood. Blood began staining his shirt at the center of his mass. Nadine flew up the stairs to catch him before he could crumble onto Alcazar. She looked up and around for the shooter and came to stare at Chloe standing at the top of the grand stair case, rifle still aimed and resting against her shoulder. She finally lowered it and the only hint of hesitation in her otherwise calm face were her eyebrows, knitted together and drawn low as she gazed down at her still clutching Els. 

There was too much commotion in the lobby and she was too far down the staircase for her voice to carry, but she shouted her name anyway. 

“Chloe!” 

Chloe let the rifle drop, then spun on her heels and disappeared, leaving Nadine to clutch Els' still bleeding body. 

“CHLOE!” 

She knew he was gone before she even caught him. It had been a clean shot, right through his sternum, shattering it most likely, the blood he coughed up was from his lungs lacerated by the fragments of bone. Nadine cursed. Now wasn't the time. She had to move, had to catch up, or be left here in Sri Lanka. She pulled her knees from beneath Els and let him slump to the ground, then hopped the banister and took cover behind an over turned table. She kept watch for any sign of Chloe and then cursed herself for doing so as she took off running toward the left exit and skidding to safety behind a sofa.

When she made it outside safely, she hopped on an unattended bike and sped away, toward the exfil site they'd designated long before setting foot on Sri Lankan soil. 

Chloe'd lied. The entire time, she had lied. She'd kept Nadine distracted, made her exhaust herself, then slipped from her bed to finish her job. Nadine didn't know who she was working for or why they needed Godsafe dead, but she wasn't going to soon forget. Els had been her friend, her battle buddy, a man whose council she often sought when her father was unable to give his. She wouldn't be able to forget this. 

If there was one thing Nadine vowed to never let happen again, it was being made the fool. No. She would be smarter than this moving forward. There will never be another “Chloe” in her life again.

-

Nadine was stripped of her rank and effectively let go. Because Shoreline was not a formal military and its ranks were most often populated by men in it for the money, discharged was the wrong word to describe it. It felt more like being disowned by the only life and family she'd ever really known. It was good for her, Jeremiah had said when he was able to drop his title and be just her father for the first time they both could remember. It was time she made a name for herself, got some experience outside the shelter that Shoreline provided her. With Els gone, he had no real replacement. There was a chance, he'd said, that she could rejoin their ranks, better than she is now, better than she could ever be with him. 

Nadine had simply nodded. She understood now. Just because one had men to command did not mean one was ready to command them, that one should or even could, without earning it. What her father could not teach her, what she would never get if she stayed in his shadow, was the respect of the men she had hoped to lead in his stead. She left Shoreline, hooked up with a few men she'd put in their place, and began to build her reputation. There were always men who needed their violence and manpower organized and wielded correctly, men with ambitions for power they had not quite yet attained. The world was full of them. They were a dime a dozen, carbon copies of each other almost, easy to read or control if she needed to, available if she needed a quick orgasm, but with none of the intimacy she'd felt with Chloe, which was fine with Nadine. She didn't have time for feelings.

-

Six years passed and Nadine had the beginnings of a reputation, enough that the right people were comparing her string of successes to Shoreline's string of losses. She was surprised when she received the request from a Shoreline mercenary, a young man by the name of Knot who had just been a Private in Sri Lanka. Shoreline had been heavily involved with the Libyan revolution and Nadine had her hands full on the Gaza strip with the Israeli blockade. Knot was only a few days drive away and was coming to see her whether she wanted him to or not. 

She met him in a small local bar made of sun-baked bricks, covered only with a tin metal roof on the outskirts of the southern end of the Strip, a secret place for bootleg liquor and coveted contraband. The smoke of stale cigarettes perfumed the air, mixing with the stench of unwashed sweat. Knot still had the lingering lean build of adolescence and his knees bumped against the underside of the rickety table. She passed him a mug of beer.

“So, you're, what, contracted by the Libyan Arab Jama-,” she trailed trying to remember what that faction was called. 

“Jamahiriya.” 

“Right. Them. They contracted Shoreline?” she asked. When he nodded she shook her head and cursed. “He should have pulled you all out when the UN got involved. You're all just canon fodder to Gaddafil. He used to believe winning wasn't worth losing good men.” 

Knot shrugged, obviously uncomfortable at her criticisms of her father. She swallowed the pale liquid and leaned back, eyeing her suspiciously. 

“What is it you want from me?” 

“It's your dad, ma'am. He's not well. Real bad off. Having trouble aiming and holding things. He gets confused a lot,” Knot said. “I thought maybe you'd like to know.” 

“Did he send you because he has no sons to whom to pass his empire?” she said and let out a laugh that sounded more callous than she had intended. 

“There won't be an empire to pass on if we stay in Libya."

She shrugged and gave him that one. From what she could gather, Shoreline was in bad debt, the men were barely functionally trained, and their leader was ailing, potentially some nerve degeneration. She'd looked up her father's symptoms the first time she'd heard of them, but knew he would keep the specifics of his health secret to everyone around him. Shoreline needed someone to save it, but she wasn't ready yet. They were going to have to hold out a little longer. She was nearly finished with the Strip and she didn't yet have the necessary team of men she needed to make a takeover go smoothly. She needed a strong right hand man first, someone she could trust. 

"Some of the men are thinking of deserting."

“Then let them. I wouldn't want men so easily distracted from orders anyway,” she said. “Distraction gets people killed. Or are you too young to remember?” 

“Permission to speak freely, ma'am.” 

She sighed. “I'm not your superior. Just say what you want to say.” 

His eyebrows furrowed in thought and then said, “No one blames you. For what happened at Sri Lanka. Any who did are long gone by now. Dead or deserted. We all saw your distraction and who could blame ya?” 

Nadine considered him for a moment before she leaned forward and said, “That's the problem then, isn't it? A real leader wouldn't have let a woman become a distraction. I should've listened to Els in the first place. He'd probably still be alive if I did, eh?” 

Knot averted his eyes, once again uncomfortable, and his unease was getting on her nerves. She sat back again and took a gulp of beer. “What is it now?” 

He shrugged. “Lt. Els wasn't… on your side, ma'am.”

“What are you on about?” 

“Lt. Els. He wanted you to fail at Security Chief. Didn't you know? He made no secret of it. To be honest, a lot of us expected you to. Maybe not that badly, but the LT and his bunch? They'd wanted you to.” 

Nadine glared at him. “I owe that man my life.” 

Now, Knot paused, still shocked that she didn't know any of this. Then, tentatively, he said, “Ma'am, you owe him your failure. I was the one who gave that woman the card key to conference room. On Lt. Els' orders.” 

She stared at him, furious, half at him and half at herself, though the fury was too loud and angry for her to see the reason behind it. Across the room, the draped cloth across the open doorway pulled back and her client walked through the door. 

“Go,” she told Knot. “Get out of Egypt now.” 

She stood from the table and patted his shoulder, before taking his untouched beer and walking across the small pact room to the open doorway where a calm, scholarly East Indian man stood tall and unassuming. He smiled at her, an alarmingly soft quality to a man she'd heard terrible rumors of. He took the beer when she offered it and then held out his free hand.

“Ms. Ross, I presume,” he said, pleasantly. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you. You come highly recommended.” 

“Doctor Asav.” Nadine shook his hand, impressed, perhaps even a little flattered he'd heard of her. “I hear you're in need of my skills.” 

From the table she'd just left, Knot, the young whelp of a boy he still was, stood awkwardly from the table and saluted her, drawing the attention of the room. His voice came loud enough to almost ricochet off the tin roof that was mere inches above his shaved head. “Yes, ma'am, understood, ma'am. I'll continue back to my post and will rely any useful information I can glean to keep you up-to-date until your return.” 

He remained still, stubbornly frozen in a salute with the room snickering quietly at his expense. What a shameful display for a soldier with the Shoreline crest emblazoned on his chest.

“I seem to have cut your business with this man short,” Asav said with an apologetic tone she knew was only a cover. She was on display for him now and how she handled this boy would make a difference in how Asav handled her. Nadine nodded toward Knot. Straightened her back and spun on her heal to face him. She returned the salute so he could finally release it to stand at stiff attention.

“Very well," she said. “You are dismissed.” 

Knot shouted an affirmative and then was out the door, whizzing past them both. When she returned to Asav, he was eyeing her impressed and almost what she would call delighted. He tapped his mug against hers and said, “I wasn't aware you still had ties with Shoreline.” 

“I don't,” she told him, "but old loyalties die hard, I suppose.” 

“There's nothing wrong with old loyalties,” Asav said, showing her to the very table Knott had just abandoned. “It speaks much about a person who walk through life with loyalties like that trailing behind them, especially for a woman of your calibre.” 

Nadine watched him pull out a chair and obliged him by sitting down in it. Asav was not the first client who tried to woo her from the start. She doubted he would be the last, but there was something a bit more pleasant about him than others, something more civil. 

“Do you always talk so smoothly to all your hired help?” she asked him, regarding him carefully as he took the seat opposite her. 

“Hired help?” he asked and then laughed and shook his head. “Oh, no, my dear Ms. Ross. With you, I'm looking for more of a partnership.” 

-

 

Sometimes, in her dreams, Nadine saw Chloe standing above her on the top of the grand staircase with the rifle still aimed and loaded. Sometimes, she saw her just as she let the rifle drop to the ground. She always had the same expression though, as if begrudgingly, she'd done her one good deed. It frustrated her to no end that she could never figure out what that deed was, that she would never know the truth of Els. Her time with Asav put her in contact with Orca and they spent the year in India building Asav's rebel insurgents right beneath the nose of India's Ministry of Defense. It taught her the last few things she needed to know to get Shoreline's name back up the list of contenders. 

She had connections now. She had her own small unit of loyal men, with a strong right hand in Orca. She had an informant inside Shoreline still loyal to the brand and its legacy. For the next few years, Nadine threw herself into that and only dreamt of Chloe on the staircase above her, cursed to never know what exactly happened to land the two of them on that staircase both the first time and last time they'd met. 

Until, that is, Chloe popped back up in her life. 

Continued…


	6. Incongruent Pieces

Sometimes, Chloe heard mention of Nadine over the years. The circumstances varied. Sometimes, it was in passing by an acquaintance. Other times, overheard while she was creeping in the shadows around dangerous men. There were times she was able to register the information without much thought and move on. Then there were the times when the mention of her would bring back a memory. In the years since, Chloe had used and abandoned a few others, had since been abandoned herself, but she never really held on to the memory of someone quite like she did Nadine's. 

Maybe there's something to be said about the first time always being the hardest. Or maybe that was just a crock of bullshit. She didn't know. All she knew, whether they came immediately during her adventure or afterward when she was safe in a hotel room, the memories of Nadine would always come back. 

They were, for the most part, wonderful memories. Sex was funny like that. With some people, it can take a few tries to get it right, to really understand each other to make it memorable instead of just some naughty fun. Then, and this was rare in Chloe's experience, there were people with which everything immediately clicked. Nadine was one of those people for her. She was the right kind of stoic, making Chloe work just enough for what she wanted, but also making her give just enough back. 

Chloe never let herself feel the guilt. She became so good at pretending it wasn't there that she almost convinced herself she didn't feel it at all. Until she caught sight of Nadine across a crowded Chinese ballroom on the little island of Hainan. It was 2011, and of course it was Chloe's luck that both South Africa and India were part of this summit, the 3rd BRICS to be exact. It had been a near ten years after she last saw Nadine in Sri Lanka, but she still recognized her in the low cut blouse and tailored pants, still recognized the air around her, controlled and assured if just a bit more mature. Immediately, Chloe remembered the feel of the skin of her back and the smooth hard muscle of her abdomen. 

“Everyone in position?” She heard Charlie Cutter's voice in her earpiece and made a face as she remembered where she was and what she was doing.

“Not yet. Give me a minute,” she whispered, lifting a glass of champagne from a waiter's silver tray.

“What's the hold up, Chloe?” 

“I said give me a minute, mate. Christ.” 

She pulled the piece from her ear, not something she would normally do, but she was not feeling her usual self. She stayed back a good distance behind Nadine, debating sauntering up behind her, perhaps resting a hand on the small of her back. If there was any moment Nadine wouldn't flip her onto her back on the ground, the middle of a gala would be it. 

Before Chloe could work up the nerve, an East Indian man came to Nadine's side, sliding his hand on her back and lingering there. A flutter of anger riled inside Chloe and it took her by surprise. She wasn't the sort to get angry at such a thing, wasn't the jealous type, but here she was seething. He gave the room a quick glance and Chloe recognized him as the leader of a growing rebel army of insurgents. Went by the name Asav. She already didn't like him. He leaned over and casually kissed Nadine on the cheek, which she received gracefully. Gracefully! Chloe was annoyed Nadine didn't punch him, annoyed even still that she seemed to welcome his affections. A man. That man. Or any man, really. Nadine didn't seem the type. No matter. Like Chloe cared. She didn't. She had a job to do anyway.

She put the earpiece back in her ear and spun around, making her way to the back of the room where the doors leading to the rest of the capitol building were. 

“All right. I'm almost there,” she said as she dumped her untouched drink in a potted plant, glass and all. 

“What the hell was that about, Chloe?”

“Nothing."

"When I can walk again, you're going back to driver," Cutter huffed. 

"You know a good driver is also a quiet one, right Charlie?" she asked. 

Sully's voice came in loud in the ear piece and she winced at his volume. "Knock it off, kids. I already raised one mouthy treasure hunter. I don't need two more."

She chuckled. "All right, all right. Everyone chill. I'm almost there." 

-

One late night drinking aboard Nate and Elena's newly acquired scavenging rig, Sam had passed around a few fresh cold ones. Elena declined with a hand and Sam shrugged and took both hers and his back to his seat beside Sully at the rickety table that needed to be rebolted to the floor. It was the first time Chloe had seen Nate since Syria and the first time she met Sam, let alone heard his name. Nate was recounting the sights of Libertalia and got sidetracked fussing at Sam for a moment he ditched the three of them and ran off toward treasure, which made Sully and Elena laugh. 

"But who's the one who called me up late at night for two years talking about one last time?" Sully asked. "And whose wife bought this fine vessel for him when she realized he would never change?" 

“Yeah, see, that's why it wouldn't have worked with us, love,” Chloe said, popping the can of her beer and nodding toward Nate. “You're so insufferably hellbent on finishing the job, whatever the cost. Don't know how you put up with him, Sunshine.” 

“Maybe because she has to now that he's conned that ring back on her finger,” Sully said with a laugh. 

“You know, I'm with Chloe on this one." Sam grinned. “I mean, don't get me wrong. He's my brother and I love him, but Elena, you gotta realize that he's getting the better end of the deal out of this, right?” 

Nate scowled while Chloe, Sam, and Sully laughed at his expense, making fun of his annoyance, of the way he tried to defend himself. 

“You know when he was sixteen, he thought it was an okay first teenage date to break into the Colosseum when her dad was chief of police?” 

“That's nothing. When our mom was still alive, for Mother's day he gave her a toad he found in the drive way. A toad! And she hated toads.” 

“Beats every date and present I ever got from him. You know, Nate. Sometimes a girl just wants a little romance.” 

“All right, all right,” Nate said, waving his arms dramatically. “Very funny. Ha and ha.” 

Elena had smiled, quietly nursing her drink most of the night. Chloe watched Nate and Elena exchange one of their infuriatingly charming glances, the kind that reminded Chloe how much she didn't know about romance. 

"All right, all right, Elena," she said. "So, Nate lies, ditches you to go galavanting off after his childhood pirate treasure and you're nearly done with him. I get that. What happened though? Why rearrange your whole life for his ass?"

“Well, I wasn't going to,” Elena said. “And then, somewhere between Libertalia and Monday morning in my editor's office, I figured, he is who he is, right? He's still the guy I fell in love with. What kind of person would I be if I asked him to be anyone else? Sometimes, we have to change for the people we care about, not the other way around.” 

To be honest, Chloe had never really seen what Nate saw in Elena. She was attractive, sure, and there was some appeal in scandalizing someone so wholesome. There were plenty things Chloe saw in her, but Nate? She never figured he was the type for wholesome. That night, however, feeling the soft sway of the rig on the water, anchored just on the outskirts of Malaysian waters, Chloe considered Elena differently. Sam and Sully howled with laughter. 

“That just makes our point, Elena,” Sully said. “You're clearly getting the short end of the stick.” 

“So what if she is?” Nate asked, irritated. “If she figures that out for real, she'll leave me again and I don't know if I can convince her to come back a second time. Then you and Sam are stuck with me again. You want that, huh? Yeah. Neither do I!”

When the laughter died down, Sam pulled the crate he sat on closer to the group and said, “All right. In all seriousness, you've all been on great treasure hunting adventures and all that, but what's the one thing you've been wanting to go after, but haven't yet?” 

Everyone thought for a minute, sipping on beers while the hanging lights above swayed back and forth, causing their shadows to dance along the floor. Nate and Sully looked at each other, the elder giving a shrug of his shoulders.

“I don't know. Too many to list, maybe,” Nate said. “Sully and I have pretty much hit every one we both been burning to find.” 

Sam looked disappointed, but turned to Chloe. “You?” 

She was quiet a moment, deciding which of the two she wanted to share, if she wanted to share at all. After Sri Lanka, Chloe didn't make it to Kuveni's mountain range. The setback of losing the armed support of Shoreline and Els had put a dent in that plan, and she had used it as an excuse to shelve it for later. If she were being honest, she could have easily found the support she needed, but she always seemed to make something else more important. She'd kept the thread, pressed between the pages of one of her father's mythology books.

She wasn't sure why she kept it, wasn't sure why she sometimes pulled it out at night and watched it glow in her fingertips, remembering a cool conference room and Nadine's warmth beside her on the floor. Chloe was good at compartmentalizing. What she wasn't good at was being honest with herself about what she was feeling in times like that. 

“Hmm,” she said, dragging out the moment to cover herself. “I've always wanted to look for Halebidu and Ganesh's jeweled tusk. You know, show I'm Indian after all.” 

She flashed a smile. It worked. Everyone was focused more on asking questions about Ganesh and Halebidu to notice that she had remembered anything troublesome at all. She cleared her throat. Not that she had. Because Chloe didn't care about ghosts from her past who had already had their story played out in her life. She didn't care that the people in this room had just run into Nadine Ross and Shoreline on their last adventure, that Nadine had gotten Shoreline back after all these years, and she wasn't burning to ask them more questions about her. Of course, she wasn't. Why should she be? Chloe was many things, but one she wasn't was sentimental. 

She frowned to herself. She wasn't. 

Really.

-

Later in the night, when the Sully and Nate were telling Sam about Katherine Marlowe, Chloe caught Elena on the deck, looking out into the ocean with the moonlight glistening on its crested waves. She sauntered up to her, touched her gently on the shoulder and called her name, and they were both surprised when Elena jumped, startled, and then laughed.

“Oh, I'm sorry, Chloe,” Elena said, holding Chloe's forearm to steady herself. “I was a million miles away.” 

“I know you were. I saw,” Chloe said, leaning on the railing after Elena gathered herself. 

Elena smiled at her, then turned her gaze back outward to the breeze and the beauty of open water. She said, “Did you need something?” 

“Not really,” Chloe said, trying to remain casual despite the questions burning inside her. “Back there, Nate said you left? Trouble in paradise, eh?” 

Elena laughed. “Yeah. For a short time before you guys were looking for Ubar. I thought about doing it again when I found out he was looking for Libertalia. I was so sure I couldn't forgive him this time.” 

“So what happened?” Chloe asked. “I mean, what made you decide to forgive him?”

Chloe watched as Elena's eyebrow furrowed in thought, thought she saw an imperceptible frown just glance off her lips. Touchy subject, maybe? Chloe suddenly felt awkward. She was never any good at moments like this, at feelings, her own or others alike, and she wasn't sure how much she was going to regret asking this. What she really wanted to ask was _How did he ask forgiveness?_

“I didn't,” Elena said. “I decided to trust him instead. If he said this was something he needed to do, then he meant it, and if I loved him, it meant I had to trust him.” 

“Trust, huh?” Chloe mused on the word. Trust wasn't something that came easy to her, nor was it something she regularly longed to received from someone else. The last time she could remember wanting anyone to trust her was-. She stopped herself, swallowed hard, and took a breath as she felt through the first moment she was ever honest with herself about Sri Lanka and Nadine. 

Nadine. She had wanted Nadine to trust her, had wanted her to relax about Chloe possibly assassinating one of those men. That was the last time Chloe could remember wanting someone to trust her.

“So, Libertalia made you change your mind? Did you figure he was safer with you when you were being shot at by Shoreline or punched out by what's her name." Chloe pretending to think for a moment.

“Nadine Ross?” Elena asked with a chuckle. “Sadly, I never got to see Nate and Sam pummeled to a pulp by her. Would have been some kind of vindication, maybe. Men, you know?” 

"Oh, do I." Chloe nodded. Smiled. So Elena never saw Nadine. It was just as well, she thought. She didn't know why she felt disappointed. “Well, let me know if you ever want a break from them, love,” Chloe said, leaning forward to close the distance between them with a smile. “I'm sure I could show you a horizon or two Nate couldn't even dream up.” 

Elena remained unfazed and even looked her in the eye, returning her smile, before she said, “I'm flattered, Chloe, really.”

“But that's a no, I gather.”

“I think I'll see how long I can manage that treasure hunter before I latch myself onto another.” Elena tossed an accusingly playful thumb in the direction of the cabin where Nate and the others were. Chloe laughed.

“Fair enough. Christ, he really doesn't know how lucky he is to have you.” She took a drink of her beer and offered it to Elena, who gracefully decline. 

“Lately, everything seems to make me want to puke,” Elena said with a groan. “I used to not get seasick, I swear.” 

Chloe had said nothing then, had resigned herself to keeping Elena company on that gorgeous night, but when she had returned to the mainland the next day, she purchased the first pregnancy test she could find in Malaysia and had it delivered to the _Cassandra_. It was just a guess, but she was sure the peace of mind, one way or another, would be good. 

-

It was Sam who convinced her to pursue Halebidu. He was the one who pointed out that Asav was funding his insurgency by selling Indian artifacts and word on the street was that he was looking for a Hoysala expert. Chloe had called Sam crazy at first. She'd heard the rumors of him, had an idea that messing with him was more dangerous than she was willing to risk. After all, she'd already dealt with one dangerous warmonger in a mythological lost city and she'd learned her lesson with Lazaravic.

“Hear me out,” Sam said, raising his hands to get her to pause. “You said your father was the foremost expert on Hoysala and Hindu mythology, right? And you have all his research, which makes you the world's foremost expert now, right? We could beat him to it! And even if we can't, we can use him to get there and steal it out from under his nose. We'll be long gone by the time he figured out what happened.”

She gave him a look and tried to make her away around him to the bar of the lowly dive they'd decided to meet up. 

“You're forgetting something, mate,” she said. “Asav doesn't trust Indians, let alone female Indians. He would never believe I was an expert in anything, even if I did have my father's name.” 

Sam gave a smug smile like he'd thought of everything and said, “But that's where I come in, see? He'd believe I was.”

That made Chloe pause. She looked over her shoulder at him as the idea was taking form in her mind. She couldn't believe she was actually considering this, but she didn't want him knowing she was yet. 

She waved him away with a hand and said, “I'm not drunk enough for this conversation. Buy me a few rounds and then we'll talk.” 

Sam had laughed and pumped his fist victoriously before following her to the bar.

When Sam went missing, Chloe had to figure something out fast. She exhausted all her other options until she had to face herself and admit that Nadine was the only one who made sense. Nadine knew Asav, had helped him build his army. She knew him personally and strategically, and as far as Chloe could discern from her intel, they had concluded their business together and had amicably gone their own ways. Maybe that could work in her favor. 

After all, Sri Lanka was years ago, when they had both been kids, and Nadine owed her anyway. She'd taken care of Els for her. Surely, by now, Nadine knew this, right? What was the worst that could happen? 

-

There was several different ways Chloe thought their first meeting would be. Perhaps in a smokey bar lit low for anonymity with candlelit tables and soft live piano jazz music. Chloe would sidle on over and take a seat across from her with a smile and say, “It's been a while, china.” Or perhaps in a grand ballroom with candelabras with them both dressed to the nines. Chloe would wait until an undeserving gentleman would ask Nadine to dance. Sometimes, the thought made her wonder if Nadine even danced.

A small marketplace in Marrakech, while appropriate, was far from where Chloe thought she would find Nadine nursing old Shoreline wounds after Libertalia judging from the story the Drake brothers told her back on the Cassandra. Only two years later and Nadine had already found another job helping greedy men attain the power they sought. How very like her. 

She caught sight of her first, inspecting a small pile of apples on a merchants table, as if she were just an ordinary tourist looking for a midday snack. Chloe lingered a hundred yards away, frowning, unsure what her opening line should be. Well. Best to make Nadine come to her then. She walked within Nadine's line of sight and pretended to inspect a few cheap aluminum necklaces hanging from a table, quickly selected one to purchase, and then turned to walk back beneath the stone archway that obstructed Nadine's view. She walked, reached inside the cloth of the white robe she wore and drew the revolver from the shoulder holster hidden beneath the robe. Chloe kept the barrel pointed behind her and kept walking. 

It wasn't long before she felt the point of the knife at at her back and Nadine's presence dangerously close behind her. 

“Chloe Frazer,” she heard as Nadine's hand came to rest on her right shoulder. “What the hell do you want?” 

Chloe couldn't help but smile as she pulled the hammer back so they both could hear the audible click of the bullet being chambered. Nadine didn't flinch.

“I heard about Shoreline,” Chloe said, ever mindful of the shoppers around them, large groups of tourists and natives alike bustling around them, oblivious to the danger these two women had pointed to each other. 

“Funny, concern coming from you.” 

They strolled as if they were old friends out for a stroll in the market, Nadine trying to guide her at times through the throes of people. 

“About Shoreline? No, I'm not concerned for them,” Chloe said, cooly, falling in step cooperatively. “I have a peace offering.” 

With a free hand, she offered Nadine the necklace she'd just purchased. Nadine ignored it and Chloe let it slip from her fingers to the dusty ground, abandoned. 

“You've got sixty-seconds to tell me what you want.” 

“I'm staying at the Riad Les Lauriers. Two-oh-two. Left corner, second floor.” Chloe side stepped around a young family and their little girl, feeling the tip of the knife dig against her skin. “We can talk there.” 

“What makes you think I would ever agree to be in a hotel room with you again, eh?” Nadine asked. “You're lucky if I let you leave this market in one piece after what you did.” 

“What I did?” Chloe asked. “I did only what we agreed upon and left when our arrangement was complete. We both knew what we were stepping into with each other.” 

Nadine stopped to stare at her, shaking her head in disgust, like everything Chloe said was the most offensive thing she could have said. “You lied to me the entire time. You went out of your way to convince me you weren't a threat to our operation.”

“I wasn't." 

“Yeah. Sure. ” Nadine nodded, cruelly. “Because I'm sure Godsafe killed himself to fuck me over out of spite.” 

“Ever stop to think it was your buddy?” 

Nadine nearly growled now. “Els was a good a man.” 

Chloe could only sneer at the mention of his name. “Oh, figure it out already. That man sold you out. He contacted me about pairing up to find where Vijaya landed in Sri Lanka. He promised me men, supplies, and support on the excavation of Kuveni's gorge, something I later found out he couldn't actually do with you in the way.”

“You're lying,” Nadine started as she steered them under another stone archway that led to a quieter alley.

Chloe was unable to contain the contempt in her at the memory of Els. She remembered the guilt she felt in that stairwell beside him. Then, as if it would no longer be ignored after years of being suppressed, that same sickening guilt welled up inside her. The anger was fresh again and just as painful and all Chloe wanted was for someone else to hurt too. 

“He knew you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off me,” she said, a shame now beginning to ache in her chest. “He knew _we_ wouldn't be able to-.” 

“That's enough, Frazer.” Nadine's voice was firm and load, rising above the bustling of the crowd behind the stone wall behind her. 

Chloe spun around to face her, ignoring the kiss of the blade as it dragged almost an inch across her back. As they came to face to face, weapons still drawn, she rose her voice louder to match Nadine's.

“Why do you think I put a bullet in him?!” 

She returned Nadine's glare, offended all over again that she'd been so easily used, guilty all over again that she went along with it because in the end the only thing important to Chloe Frazer was herself, and ashamed for the first time at the truth of it. It had never bothered her before. It had always been something she knew about herself, valued even, except now, in front of Nadine Ross, even after all these years. 

She closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment to breathe, to quell all those useless feelings she had suppressed. This wasn't like her. Giving into irrational feelings like this. When her emotions were back under control, shoved back inside where she could ignore them once more, she opened her eyes again.

"This was a mistake," she said. "I shouldn't have come." 

Chloe took a step backwards, daring to have one last good look at Nadine up close and face to face to update the image of her in her memory. She uncocked the revolver and when she was positive Nadine had nothing else to say, she turned to leave. She heard Nadine sigh behind her, but she didn't hear her name, so she continued walking until she was back in the midst of the bustling the crowd where she could slip around a corner and disappear.

-

Any other night, Chloe might have been out on the town maybe, looking for the night's distraction amongst the foreigners in her riad. It was always easier for her to think clearer after a good stress release. Instead, she found herself inside her room in a chair, with the remnants of the alcohol wipe and the small bandaging she used to clean the cut on her back. It wasn't deep, but it was longer than she'd thought and bled a little more than she would have liked. She chewed on her thumb nail pondering her next move, a little overwhelmed but refusing to admit it.

Sam knew enough of the old kings to keep himself safe for now, but she still needed to know what he'd found when he disappeared. His last contact had said it was an artifact she would need to retrieve first or she would have just gone ahead to the Western Ghats while she knew Asav was still lingering in the cities. Her mind felt muddled, like she had all the pieces but she just couldn't figure out how they would work together yet and she didn't know how to start figuring it out.

The knock on her door took her by surprise and she bolted upright in her chair, nearly knocking a lamp over. Chloe paused, silent. No one knew she was here. No one who didn't bear her ill will anyway. Then she heard Nadine's voice. 

“Frazer, open up. It's me.” 

Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was just going to skip Chloe's time between Sri Lanka and when she approaches Nadine about the tusk, but it just felt too disjointed, so I had to insert this chapter in for my own sake. Sorry, sorry. 
> 
> Also, Elena. I love her.


	7. Unnecessarily Intimate/Strictly Professional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first time Chloe and Nadine have been able to really talk in thirteen years and there is a lot to say, and feel, on both sides.

Nadine rested a forearm against the doorframe and hung her head, berating herself for even standing outside this door. She shouldn't have come, but the possibility of closure was too enticing. Nadine needed to hear from Chloe about Els, needed to hear it on her voice, because otherwise she only had the word of young Knot to go on. She heard the lock unlatch and the chain withdrawn before the door opened halfway, Chloe holding it open with a expression that could only be described as solemn. 

“Didn't think you'd come.” 

“Didn't think I would either.” Nadine glanced both ways down the hallway. “You're the one who asked me to. It's rude to leave your guest standing in the hallway, you know.” 

Chloe conceded with a smile. There it was, Nadine thought. Just as she remembered her. A cocky smile was never too far from those lips. She watched her step aside and Nadine made her way into the room, catching a whiff of her soap, clover and aloe, fitting of her she supposed. It was practical and earthy, more grounded than the floral spice she still recalled from thirteen years ago. 

Nadine took in the layout of the room and the arrangement of the furniture in one casual glance around, memorizing her possible exits and spots of potential cover for the improbable-but-not-impossible worst case scenarios. Maybe she was being paranoid, but the last time she was in the same vicinity as this woman, everything went to shit real fast. 

“It's good to see you,” Chloe said, closing the door behind her. Then she added, softer, genuinely, “Nadine.” 

It made Nadine spy her from the corner of her eye. She hated that part of her liked how her name sounded on Chloe's voice, in the tender way she said it, as if she actually meant the affection Nadine thought she could hear. But this was the exact wishful thinking that had cost her Shoreline the first time and she couldn't afford to be lulled into another false sense of security.

“I have questions. If I like your answers, maybe I'll listen to what it is you want from me,” Nadine said, to get herself out of her head. “If I don't like the answers, I walk. If I think you're lying, I walk. Nothing will be enough to bring me back a second time.” 

“Fair enough.” Chloe sighed, folding her arms lightly across her chest as she sat on the stiff arm of the sofa. 

The silence settled around them like thick sediment, little by little in layers of stifling stillness, slowly suffocating any words they might have had ready. Nadine sat on the coffee table directly in front of her because she refused to back away, but she was wary of the close proximity, how their knees just barely grazed each other.

“How did you first come in contact with him? Els?” she asked.

“He approached me,” Chloe said with a small frown. “Said he needed someone knowledgable. I was young then. Thought I needed a fully outfitted expedition at the time.” 

“Earlier you said he knew.” Nadine shook her head at the wording of that.. “How things would go between us, I mean.” 

Chloe shrugged. “I don't think it was difficult to tell your type then, love.” 

“So, that's it?” Nadine asked. “I was just a mark. He says he wants you to sleep with someone and you do it because you wanted an expedition?”

“Look, I didn't know that was his end game at first.” 

Nadine scoffed. “Because that makes it better.” 

“What do you want me to say?” Chloe stood taking a few steps further into the suite, just to get some distance. She lifted her hands at a complete loss. “I like sex, okay? I wanted you. Normally, it's not that complicated.”

“You mean, normally it doesn't cost someone her whole life,” Nadine said, standing to follow her and accent her point. “Her rank, her father, her-.”

Chloe spun to face her, narrowing her eyes. “I get it, all right? I ruined your life just to get you in bed. I get it. But look at you. You turned out fine!” 

It happened quickly, Nadine gripped her by the neck, following fast when Chloe tried to back away, until she walked into the bed and tumbled backward on it. Nadine followed her down. She didn't squeeze. She only pressed her fingertips into the muscle on the sides just enough to threaten without harming.

“You disappeared from my bed while I was sleeping, left me to wake up to that entire hotel one giant mess.” She hovered over her, remembering how her father entered that room and asked her what the hell had happened. “And the next and last time I saw you, you shot my first lieutenant in front of me.” 

“He deserved it.” Chloe made a face, interrupting her, a flare of anger lighting up her storm-colored eyes. “He needed you to fuck up so badly to secure his own future. He needed you out of the way and he didn't give a shit what happened to you once you were.”

“You should have told me.” 

“Like you would have listened to anything I would have said.” Chloe averted her gaze. 

“So, you shot him.” Nadine said again, bluntly, but the earlier sear of anger subsiding to controlled disbelief. 

She saw the absolute refusal in Chloe to apologize for any of her decisions that day, saw how furious she was that Nadine kept coming back to this one point, but Nadine didn't care. It was the only point that mattered right now, the only point that had bothered her these long years. 

“I could have just left, you know,” Chloe said. “ Just grabbed my things and high tailed it out of there the moment I left you. That's what I should have done. It would have been safer that way.”

“Then why didn't you?” 

Now Chloe glared at her, almost exasperated, both frustrated and annoyed, as if the answer were obvious and she couldn't understand why Nadine wasn't putting two and two together. She shifted slightly beneath Nadine's weight and narrowed her eyes when Nadine held her still. Her voice came like a razor lashing out against the still air that almost hummed between them.

“Because he was a threat to you.” 

Nadine's breath caught in her throat, her words crumbling, devolving from language into formless emotion. She was both surprised and oddly flattered. No one had ever really – she struggled to find the right word. She was strong, capable. She would have handled Els if she'd had to. She didn't think anyone in her life would have doubted that, but here she was, immobilized by one woman's intent to ...protect her? 

She should be angry at Chloe, if not because Els was a good man who didn't deserve that death, then because she'd robbed Nadine of the opportunity to dispatch him herself, because she could, because it was her right. After all, it was her life he had been scheming to take. 

However, faced with Chloe's pointed anger now, Nadine realized that in the past thirteen years what she had felt regarding Chloe and her memories of that weekend, of the sight of her on those steps above her letting the rifle fall to the ground, was not anger. All this time, she'd just wanted to know why. What had happened? Why him? What had made Chloe stop on that staircase, take aim, and pull the trigger?

Nadine had her answers now and all she could feel was an unusual relief that she was finally free of the curse of the Chloe in her memories and all that was left was the woman beneath her, pinned to the bed, her chest heaving with her unspoken words.

Nadine furrowed her eyebrows and said, “I thought all I was to you was a quick fuck, Frazer.” 

Chloe hesitated, then scowled. She quickly looked away and said, “Well, sure, but one I really enjoyed. I'm not completely heartless, you know.”

The bravado in her voice was betrayed by the flush of red across her cheeks and Nadine almost faltered, almost loosened her grip around her slender neck. She'd forgotten how disarming Chloe's expressions could be, how easily she'd been distracted by them. Beneath her fingertips, she felt Chloe swallow, her head still turned to the side but her scowl fading quickly. She saw her chest rise and fall with the heavy sigh that escaped her lips and with it Chloe's body relaxed as if exhausted of being defensive and defiant, as if she had no more demons inside her to run from. Dangerous Chloe Frazer with nowhere to run and no sharp words to wield.

Just as it did all those years ago that morning she awoke to a sleeping Chloe, the same thing within Nadine unlatched, the lock breaking away from rust and nonuse. She pulled away, withdrawing her hand from Chloe's throat, to sit on the edge of the bed with her elbows on her knees. She put her palms together and intertwined her fingers, lowering her gaze to the carpet. 

Then, carefully, she said, “Neither am I, I guess.” 

It took Chloe a minute to push herself up, scooting to the edge of the bed where they sat side by side. Her ponytail had become disheveled and she reached up and pulled the hair tie down the length of it, freeing her hair to fall over her shoulders.

“You know, I think you're a lot of things, Nadine Ross,” Chloe said, softly,” but heartless is not one of them.”

It made Nadine's chest swell painfully. How would she know, really? A mercenary only has one thing going for them and it's the exact ability to shut away the heart in the times it would only get in the way. When Nadine was around Chloe though, the old lock she used to cage it always came undone, and now the lock was broken. Some soldier she turned out to be. When she didn't say anything, Chloe began to gather her hair back at the base of her neck. Nadine reached up to stop her with a touch of her hand. 

“Leave it down for a bit,” she said and then thought how she didn't have a right to ask such a thing. She added, “Please.” 

The word was strange and almost foreign and fell just as heavy as the silence that settled on their shoulders. Chloe paused but said nothing, her fingers playing with the hair tie. She pushed strands behind an ear almost abashedly. Then she slid the tie around her wrist, cleared her throat, and stood from the bed.

“So,” Chloe said, her voice clearer now as she took a few steps away. “You looking for a job? Because I have one you might be interested in.” 

“Is that so?' Nadine chuckled, remembering their first conversation in front of Vijaya's portrait. “You gonna hire me in your next heart beat?” 

“If you're game.” 

Nadine stood from the bed, placing her hands on her hips as she followed. She stopped abruptly when Chloe tossed a casual glance over her shoulder at her, her hair framing the curve of her cheekbones and her eyes light against her warm sun-touched skin. Nadine's breath caught in her chest. Age looked good on Chloe. It only heightened the sharp features of her face and gave her expressions more weight, like she knew a lifetime of secrets more than you did and she wasn't sharing. Then Nadine saw a small spot of blood on Chloe's lower back and without thinking reached out and grabbed a fist full of the fabric to inspect it closer.

“You're bleeding,” she said, raising her gaze to Chloe as she deftly side stepped from her reach. 

“Yeah, well, you did pull a knife on me,” Chloe said with a shrug. “Guess it left a mark.” 

Without another word, Nadine closed the distance between them once more and pulled at the hem of Chloe's shirt. She dropped to a knee to inspect the blood spotted bandage, hastily applied, lopsided, and missing the right end of the wound. Nadine didn't miss the small quiver of Chloe's stomach when her finger tips accidentally brushed skin to peel back a corner of the bandage. 

The wound started just left of her spine and was long enough that it curved along her side. It was mostly shallow, but the right end where her knife had been pointed was deeper and still seeped blood. 

“It's still bleeding.” Nadine pulled the whole bandage off and replaced it over the deepest part of the wound, pressing the adhesive firmly along the edges. Then she let the shirt drop and stood. “You should get more bandages.”

Chloe pulled away again, making her way to the side table near the door and grabbed a key that had been carelessly tossed on it. She turned to Nadine and said, “Fine, but we're getting food while we're at it.” 

-

The front desk clerk had been gracious enough to raid the first aid kit stashed beneath the counter and they migrated to the open air courtyard that was situated in the middle of the riad's wings. In the corner of the courtyard was a small food stall with an open fire grill, meant to mimic food stalls in the medina of Marrakech. They sat at small table with a plate of aubergine fritters, Chloe sitting backwards in one of the black iron chairs leaning forward while Nadine tending to her cut.

“I didn't tell you my room number so you could patch up your handy work,” Chloe said. 

“Then why did you?” Nadine asked, carefully peeling one of the bandages from its backing. 

“What do you know of the insurgency in India right now?” 

“I helped Asav build it. Why?” 

Nadine smoothed the fresh bandage over the wound and then sat back, letting the shirt fall back down. Then she scooted her chair further away so Chloe sit herself proper at the table, wasting no time picking a fritter off the plate. 

“Your boy, Asav, and I seem to be after the same artifact,” Chloe said. “And I need to beat him to it.” 

Nadine laughed, reaching over to grab a fritter herself, before pointing it at Chloe. She said, “You and me against a whole army, eh?” 

Chloe nodded. “Yep.” 

After letting out a quick puff of air, Nadine took a bite of the fritter, shaking her head. It was crazy, really, but she did come all this way despite herself, and this meeting had gone immensely better than she had planned, so despite herself, she took the bait. 

“What's the artifact?” 

Now, there was a mischievous gleam in Chloe's eye that made Nadine wonder if she should be worried. Anything that caught that look in this woman's eye was probably something to be wary of. Chloe leaned forward as if the next words out of her mouth were a secret she couldn't yet share with the world.

“The tusk of Ganesh,” she said. “One of a kind and encrusted with jewels more valuable than both of our lives.” 

Nadine sat straighter and held up a hand. It wasn't that she didn't agree. It was that she was still stuck on one small detail. 

“Wait a minute. Back up,” she said, adjusting herself on her chair so she could lean her elbows on the table. “You're talking about Ganesh, the Hindu god? You're talking about finding the actual tusk? Of a myth?”

“More or less, but one most likely fashioned by human hands and passed off as the tusk of a myth if that helps you sleep better at night, china,” Chloe said with a smirk as she stared at her, finishing off the fritter she'd grabbed earlier. 

Nadine paused at hearing the idiom, almost playful and familiar. It was like an echo through time, harkening back to a moment when she'd had her tangled in sheets in a hotel bed, soft touches from curious fingers running along her back. A shiver threatened to pass through Nadine, but she stiffened up and lowered her gaze. 

“Listen,” Chloe continued when she said nothing. “ I know Indian myth and history. You know Asav and his military tactics. Together, I bet we'd run circles around him.” 

Nadine could only let out a soft chuckle. "You're crazy, you know that?”

Chloe grinned. “I've been called worse.” 

The fritters were cooling fast and Nadine busied herself with eating. They sat in a small silence while she considered the proposition and Chloe waited for her response. A few tourists entered the little courtyard, marveling at the red stone pavement and the atmospheric lighting strung around them soft and delicately. Finally, Nadine sat back once more, resting a hand on her thigh.

“This tusk better be worth it,” she said. “Asav isn't someone to mess around with casually and I'm not going to come cheap.” 

The sigh Chloe let out made Nadine's eyebrows knit together. 

“Yeah, about that...” 

Nadine narrowed her eyes. “What about it?”

Chloe hesitated a moment before she said, “I can't exactly pay you right now. Won't actually have it until we sell the tusk.” 

Nadine let out a laugh, more callous than the previous ones she'd let out that evening, and shook her head. So that was the catch. Payment after all the work was done, eh? This was something she never did and never compromised on. 

“Right, of course,” she said with a curt nod. “Tell me again why I would want to work for free against someone like Asav with no guarantee that we'll find this tusk, that it will be worth the work to find it, or that it actually even exists?” 

At this, Chloe didn't offer a shrug or a smirk, nothing playful or mysterious like Nadine had anticipated. She traced lazy figures on the surface of the table and then slowly lifted her gaze until it settled on Nadine.

“I can't. You're just going to have to trust me,” she said. 

Trust her? Nadine didn't know if she could at the moment. Trust for her was hard earned for both involved. She hadn't trusted a single man who had employed her since she left Shoreline and the caution had served her well. Her rule had always been to receive money upfront and to renegotiate terms, conditions, and additional payment as the situation required. This was, however, Chloe Frazer in front of her now whose very existence always seemed to turn her reality upside down. 

Before Nadine could say anything, though, a voice rose in the still air, nearly echoing against the stone work of the riad. 

“Chloe fucking Frazer!” 

They both turned to look at a man who stood at the entry of the courtyard, shoulders hunched as he puffed up his chest and scrambled his way to their table, glaring at her.

“I rotted in prison for four months because of you!” he nearly shrieked, strands of his greased hair falling over his narrow eyes. His American accent was a coarse one, not pleasant like the movies, but hard on the vowels and high pitched. “Four months!” 

Chloe looked at a loss for words and Nadine watched, almost amused, when she glanced up at him and said, “I'm sorry, mate, but who the hell are you?” 

He slammed a hand down on the table hard enough to rattle the plate of fritters, looming over her to glare, the ends of his jacket dangling above the edge of the table.

“Stuckey. Stuckey Blevins. You were supposed to lift some ivory from a couple o' friendly poachers in Kenya, mate,” he said, emphasizing the word “mate” and mimicking her voice. “But you disappeared with the ivory and left me holding the bag.” 

The way Chloe disregarded him and went back to eating her fritters was carefree and unconcerned. Nadine was aware that a mercenary for hire was not the first person who could talk about ethics and morals, but she couldn't help the judgment and disgust rising in her at the thought of poaching. She hadn't said anything or moved a muscle when she felt Chloe reach beneath the table and place a hand on her knee to still her.

“I'm afraid you have your facts crossed,” Chloe told the man. “One, there's no such thing as “friendly poachers” and two, I've never done an ivory job.”

“I warned Carr about you. I told 'im you couldn't be trusted.” He sneered. 

“Steven Carr?” Chloe laughed now, her eyes lighting up as she remembered the name. “You mean that job? You were that scraggly chap who hung around him like a mosquito with a hard on, weren't you?”

He leaned in further, threatening. Chloe gripped Nadine's knee tighter when she shifted in her chair to still her, then brought her gaze up to meet his. Her hand shot across the table and grabbed the ends of his light jacket. She gave him a searing kiss that took him off guard. In his distraction, her free hand grappled with the jacket pocket out of Nadine's view. He let out a small high pitched squeak and she leaned in further to make her point.

“Listen, Stuckey Blevins,” she said, bringing out all the gravel in her voice in a low warning. “You were right not to trust me. That job was nothing more than free transport to my real destination and you and Steven Carr were nothing to me but a means to get it. I don't know who took your ivory and I don't care, but if you want to keep your crown jewels, I suggest you walk away now and forget you ever saw me. You hear me, mate?”

He stared at her now, both fearful and angry, but slowly backed away until the ends of his jacket drew back enough to reveal the small .45 caliber pistol pointed at his crotch. When he was a safe enough distance away, he cursed, flipped her a furious finger, and stuffed his hands in his pockets before stalking away. 

“Fuckin' crazy.” He muttered. “Knew it.” 

Chloe saw him off with a wave to his retreating form and considered the gun still in her hand. “Well, thanks for the gift.” 

When he was out of earshot, she discharged the magazine and caught it with her free hand, pocketing both before returning her attention to Nadine. Nadine caught her eye, but said nothing, allowing herself to rest casually against the back of the chair. She placed her elbow on the arm rest of the chair and gave a small nod. 

“Almost impressive, Frazer,” she said. 

“Almost?” Chloe frowned. “Only almost?”

“Well, it was reckless, impulsive,” Nadine said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Unnecessarily intimate...” 

“Unnecessarily intimate?” Chloe blinked and tilted her head, echoing Nadine's words. “I don't think that's a thing, china.”

Nadine's smirk faded. She considered Chloe for a long moment. There was a small rising apprehension in her, all her inner warning bells were firing and she could feel the caution that had kept her alive in countless dangerous situations returning. That's right. Chloe Frazer was not to be trusted. Chloe Frazer knows how to use people to get what she wants and then forgets them until they catch a glimpse of her in a crowd, forces you to come to her, because the image of her refused to let anyone forget it. Not Nadine, not Stuckey Blevins, no one. 

“There is such a thing,” Nadine told her. “Look at that man. You felt nothing for him, didn't even remember who he was, but if I didn't know better, that kiss would have convinced me otherwise.” 

“That? That was just a distraction to get this from him.” Chloe indicated the pocket where she'd stashed the small pistol. 

“Yeah, I know your work first hand, don't I?” 

“That's not fair. It was different with you,” Chloe told her nonchalantly. “That intimacy was necessary.” 

“How exactly?” Nadine asked, letting out a wispy laugh despite herself. 

“You weren't the only one distracted that weekend, Nadine Ross.” 

“And what could I possibly have distracted you from, eh, treasure hunter?” 

“I don't think that's the right question,” Chloe said. 

Nadine sighed, giving in, taking the bait, whatever Chloe preferred. She gave a weary nod and said, “Fine. Then what's the right question?” 

“What's more interesting to a treasure hunter than a treasure she spent years infatuated with? Or who can take her interest away from it, maybe,” Chloe said, catching Nadine's gaze and holding it, firmly. “If you want me to apologize for that weekend, I can't, because I'm not sorry. I'm sorry for what happened to you afterward, but I don't regret one bit what happened between us.”

Nadine cleared her throat, tried to scoff but failed. She felt like she'd just taken a shot of smooth whiskey and could feel the warmth spread across her chest. She's a liar, she told herself. Don't fall for it again. But that was difficult to do with the gorgeous courtyard around them, strung up with red lanterns that bathed the place, and Chloe, in soft amber light. It made Nadine wary that Chloe still hadn't tied her hair back up, still let it spill loose past her shoulders. All because Nadine had asked her to.

She was still the same woman who stared up at her from the carpeted stair case all those years ago, but different now, almost more approachable now. The years had chipped away at the air of mystery around her. She felt impossibly human now, like she had the capacity of being hurt. It was only now that Nadine realized that she hadn't felt like she, or anyone for that matter, would ever be allowed to have that kind of power over Chloe Frazer. 

Then, Chloe leaned forward, and said, “Do you?” 

It was almost automatic, like her heart answered before her brain could stop it. Nadine heard herself say, “No, I don't.” 

Chloe kissed her. It was tender but tentative, so unlike the heated ones in Nadine's memory. She felt her hand warm against her cheek when Chloe pulled away, swallowed, and looked away. 

“Sorry,” she said. “Shouldn't have done that.” 

The last time Nadine consciously decided to shut her thoughts off and follow the moment, Chloe pushed her backwards on the bed and chased her reason away with kisses so passionate and greedy. Maybe that's why Nadine wanted more. Maybe her lips remembered. She pulled Chloe back and kissed her again, felt her respond to her with need that matched her own. 

Everything felt in the way. The table between them created too much distance. The chairs they sat on were just reminders of autonomy and personal space, concepts Nadine couldn't care less for right now, didn't need right now, didn't want even. 

They left the rest of the fritters on the table forgotten, wouldn't even remember how they made it back to the room without stopping to rethink this. Nadine would only remember the impatience in her as Chloe fiddled with the key and the lock, how it grew impulsively inside her when she chased her through the door, kicking it closed behind them. She would only remember yanking Chloe back to her, the hands that helped push the light jacket she wore from her shoulders until it crumpled to the ground abandoned. She felt the hand in her hair as they kissed, the way Chloe wrapped her arms and legs around her when she lifted from the ground. She walked them to the bed, blindly, and gently lay her down. When she pushed herself up on an arm, Chloe lifted herself on her elbows to maintain contact. The kisses were achingly slow, deliberate, unhurried in their need. Then Nadine pulled back, threading her fingers in Chloe's hair as she gazed down at her, wanting to remember how she looked biting her lower lip, face flushed from want but too embarrassed to ask for more. Nadine swallowed hard. 

“This can't happen,” she said, her voice soft in near agony.

Chloe nodded. “I know.” 

“I can't trust you.” 

Chloe nodded again, but turned her face to place her cheek against Nadine's open palm. She closed her eyes and said, “I don't know if I can trust you either.” 

“Some partners we'd make then,” Nadine said, her hand lingering on Chloe's cheek.

“I'm willing to try if you are.” 

Nadine felt something inside her ache. She was conscious of the heat of Chloe's body, of their hips nestled against each other. It felt too intimate, inappropriate almost …unnecessarily so. She needed space, needed to feel separate and herself again. At the same time, she needed to stay, withstand this terribly intimate connection she felt with this woman, even though it was simultaneously terrifying and satisfying. 

“If we do this, Frazer, we remain strictly professional.” 

“Agreed.” 

“Okay, good. Good.” Nadine nodded, somewhat relieved. She started to push herself up. “Then, I suppose, that makes us-.”

Nadine stopped short when she felt Chloe's finger to her lips. The touch surprised her and drew her attention back to the woman beneath her. 

“Wait. Don't agree yet.” Chloe took in a breath. Then, as if it was her turn to try out the word, she said, “Please.” 

She lifted herself once more and kissed her again, long, slow, and melancholic, a wordless goodbye to what could be Nadine felt echo in the hollows of her heart. Chloe refused to release her, keeping her lips captive as she slid out from under her to sit cross-legged. When she finally broke away, Chloe shoved her hand unexpectedly in the space between them.

“All right,” she said. “Now, you can agree.” 

Nadine shook her head, but smirked. She took Chloe's hand and shook it. It was clever of her to steal one last lingering kiss before their business agreement, Nadine had to admit. Once a thief, always a thief. She pulled a cheap burner phone from her back pocket and handed it to Chloe. 

“Give me a number I can reach you with after my business is done here,” she said and watched as Chloe smirked to herself while she typed on the phone. “What?” 

“If you'd just asked for my number thirteen years ago, we could have avoided a lot of awkward moments tonight, don't you think?” Chloe asked as she handed the phone back. 

Nadine rose an eyebrow. “Strictly professional, remember?” 

“That is me being professional, love. Might as well get used to it now.” Chloe patted her cheek playfully and then launched herself from the bed. She bent to pick up Nadine's jacket from the floor, brushing it off as Nadine stood from the bed and pocketed the phone. 

Nadine took the jacket when it was offered her, not sure what kind of trouble she'd just signed herself up for. As Chloe walked her to the door, she wondered if she would come to regret this decision, but part of her was genuinely curious what Chloe's life as a treasure hunter was like, and she sorely needed the kind of money a priceless Indian artifact would bring in. 

“How long until your business here is finished?” Chloe asked her, opening the door. 

“Couple of days,” Nadine told her, stepping outside.“Three, tops.” 

“Then, I'll see you in four days, Ross.” 

Nadine nodded, then paused. She looked back at Chloe leaning on the door she still held open, and said, “There isn't anything else I should know now going in this, is there?”

If she didn't know better, Nadine would say the mischief disappeared from Chloe's eyes. She averted her gaze and the air of mystery returned around her, like the Chloe that Nadine had seen, _felt_ , in the courtyard was once again just out of her reach, having lived a lifetime ago. It made Nadine instantly wary. 

“No,” Chloe said with a shake of her head. “Not really.” 

Nadine considered her a moment, before dismissing the feeling. She pulled her jacket on.

“I'll be in touch,” she said and turned to walk away. 

She heard Chloe say, “Looking forward to it.” 

Then she heard the door close. Maybe this was the dumbest decision she could have made. She didn't know anything about that Chloe Frazer, really, only that for some reason when she was around her, she stopped thinking about what was logical, stopped thinking about what she should feel and – Nadine frowned – and felt other things instead, things she wasn't sure Chloe had done anything to deserve, things like forgiveness and care. She sighed. You're spineless, Ross, she told herself. You just can't help yourself around her.

She pulled the phone from her pocket, preparing to change the name on Chloe's contact to something safer, anonymous, and stopped in her tracks. Chloe had saved herself under “<3”. Nadine couldn't help the small smile. She pocketed the phone again. She was going to dump this phone before leaving Morocco anyway and get another burner once she arrived in India. She supposed there wasn't any harm in keeping it like that until then.

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The phone number Nadine uses at the beginning of the game has an Indian country code, which means Nadine has an Indian phone number and Chloe does not. Who wants to head cannon with me that Chloe gave Nadine her real number? Also, the number Nadine is using: 91 451 526 019
> 
> For something that started because of one line "You'll blow my cover [if you don't look like you've been properly sexed]", this fic has come a long way. I originally intended it to remain vague and within the bounds of what was established in-game, but I had to fudge a few things along the way. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and putting up with all the technical errors. All of the comments and kudos have been motivating despite the crazy changes happening in my life atm.


End file.
